


The Irony of Fate

by Fawn_Eyed_Girl



Series: Irony of Fate Collection [1]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Violence, Consensual Sex, Explicit Language, F/M, Inuyasha Swears A Lot, Post-InuYasha, Powerful Higurashi Kagome, Underage Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:33:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 56
Words: 197,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22502575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fawn_Eyed_Girl/pseuds/Fawn_Eyed_Girl
Summary: After Kagome wishes for the Shikon Jewel to disappear, she and Inuyasha are transported back to 21st century Tokyo, where they are trapped after the well closes up. How will they cope with living with Kagome's family, and what happens when youkai from the past start showing up? What will they do when the unthinkable happens, and will they ever get back down the well?**NOMINATED: Best Character Portrayal (Inuyasha) at Feudal Connection 2020 2nd Q!**
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Miroku/Sango (InuYasha), Rin/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Series: Irony of Fate Collection [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768027
Comments: 222
Kudos: 265





	1. The Return

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the manga/anime characters. 
> 
> Hello everyone! Welcome to my first Inuyasha fanfic. While in some ways I've kept close to the canon, in other ways I've taken some liberties, for which I hope you will forgive me. Please enjoy, and I hope you come to love these characters as much as I do :)

Three days. That’s how long Mrs. Higurashi, Jii-chan, and Souta had been sitting in the shed, the one that formerly housed the Bone Eater’s Well. Three days ago, the well had vanished, leaving Kagome with no way to get home from Sengoku Jidai.

The three of them sat in front of the space in the shed that once housed the well; it was now nothing but a dirt floor. Mrs. Higurashi’s face was filthy and tear-streaked. She had dug frantically into the dirt when the well disappeared, screaming her daughter’s name. They heard Inuyasha calling them, asking if she was there. When they told him that she wasn’t, his voice was unreadable.

“Don’t worry,” he had said, “I’ll get her back. I promise I’ll find her.”

That was two days ago, and they hadn’t heard anything from Inuyasha since. Kagome’s friends had come and gone; they didn’t understand why her family was sitting in an empty shed if Kagome was missing. They especially didn’t understand why Mrs. Higurashi refused to call the police, and why she had said, “There’s nothing they could do, anyway.”

On that third day, Mrs. Higurashi and Jii-chan sat tensely in the shed. They had allowed Souta to remain home from school; he was sleeping, his head in Mrs. Higurashi’s lap.

“Why were we so willing to let her travel back and forth?” Mrs. Higurashi murmured. “Why did we let her do this?”

“Because she is strong, and she had a mission,” Jii-chan responded, just as softly.

“We have to pray that Inuyasha will find her and protect her,” Mrs. Higurashi said. “He always has, and I hope that he always will.”

Suddenly, there was a huge flash of light shooting up from the ground. Mrs. Higurashi and Jii-chan scrambled back, Souta tumbling out of his mother’s lap. She dragged him backwards as his eyes shot open.

As the light poured forth from the ground, the three Higurashis watched, astonished, as the Bone Eater’s Well slowly came back into view and solidified. And there, sitting on the ledge, were Inuyasha and Kagome.

Mrs. Higurashi gasped. “Ka—go—me—”

Inuyasha leapt from the well’s ledge, holding Kagome gently in his arms. He landed in front of her family and set her down carefully. Kagome fell into her mother’s arms, the two of them sobbing. Souta jumped into Inuyasha’s arms. Jii-chan hugged his daughter-in-law and granddaughter. Everyone was talking at once and crying.

“How did you find her?” Mrs. Higurashi asked Inuyasha, stroking her daughter’s hair tenderly.

Inuyasha adjusted Souta in his arms. “Thanks to Testusaiga’s new power, it showed me the way. I couldn’t have found her without it.”

“I knew you would bring her back,” Mrs. Higurashi replied, holding an arm out to him. “Thank you.” She brought Inuyasha and Souta close, and held all three of the children.

As they stood in the shed, rejoicing in their reunion, they were suddenly blinded by another shaft of light coming from the well. There was a massive burst of light, a _whoosh_ , and all the light flew forth from the well, shot through the roof and into went the sky.

Inuyasha put Souta down and moved toward the well. “What the hell--?”

Kagome and her mother also moved toward the well. Kagome leaned over and looked in. The well was dark; it felt…empty.

“Hold on, Mama,” she said, disengaging herself from her mother’s grasp. She turned to Inuyasha. “What do you think that was?”

“Hell if I know,” he shrugged. “Let’s try it.” He took her hand and they jumped as Mrs. Higurashi rushed forward, crying, “Kagome! No!”

“Don’t worry, Mama,” came her daughter’s reply. “We’re not going anywhere. The well’s not working.”

* * *

The tension around the table was beyond palpable. Mrs. Higurashi bought steak for dinner – Inuyasha’s favorite – in hopes of creating a celebratory mood. After all, her daughter had been returned to her safe and sound, and she couldn’t help but feel ecstatic. But she also understood why Kagome and Inuyasha might not feel like celebrating. Although the Shikon Jewel had been destroyed, they were cut off from a world that, to Kagome, was starting to feel like a second home, and to Inuyasha, _was_ home. They were cut off from their friends—Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Kaede must be worried sick. Mrs. Higurashi knew that Kagome must have felt sick thinking about that.

So they sat: Jii-chan at the head of the table, scowling at Inuyasha, who was scowling right back at him; Kagome, seated between the two of them, trying to smile and somehow failing; Souta, to Inuyasha’s left, gazing at his hero with starry eyes; and Mrs. Higurashi, between Jii-chan and Souta, picking at her food, hoping that the mood would shift once everyone settled down a bit.

“So, Kagome,” said Souta, carefully chewing his steak, “will you be going back to school tomorrow?”

Kagome looked up from her plate, stunned. She hadn’t even thought about school. Her books, her study notes…all of it was back in Sengoku Jidai. She had no idea how she would be prepared for school tomorrow, much less for the day after that, and after that.

“Maybe,” said Mrs. Higurashi thoughtfully, “you should take a few days to adjust.”

Kagome turned her gaze to her mother, her eyes thoughtful. “That might be a good idea, Mama. Thanks.” _And I don’t even know what we’re going to do about Inuyasha_ , she thought miserably. She felt his body next to hers, as it had been for the past two years. But instead of cool and relaxed, it felt warm and tense, unsure of how to process this new situation. _How am I going to help him? How will he adjust to living in 21 st century Tokyo?_

As if in response to her thoughts, a solid rap sounded at the front door. “Who in the world?...” Mrs. Higurashi muttered, pushing back her chair and going to stand.

“Wait,” said Inuyasha suddenly. They all turned to him as he stood, his eyes flashing. He paused for one incredibly long second. “Oh, _fuck me!_ ” he exclaimed and ran to the front door, leaving the Higurashis to blink at one another confusedly. They heard Inuyasha throw open the door and yell, “What the _fuck_ are you doing here!”

The tall man at the door smiled slightly, his golden eyes hard. “Nice to see you as always, _little brother._ ”

* * *

If the tension around the table was high before, it was off the charts now. Jii-chan had been forced to give up his seat at the head of the table to Sesshomaru; he now sat in Souta’s seat, while Souta had been forced between Jii-chan and Mrs. Higurashi. Inuyasha had moved to Sesshomaru’s immediate left, holding onto Kagome so tightly she was practically in his lap, much to Jii-chan’s chagrin.

“What,” Inuyasha hissed, “are you _doing_ here? _How_ are you even here?”

Sesshomaru ignored his brother’s rantings and reached under the table, pulling out a briefcase. Kagome watched him, fascinated; although she had only seen Sesshomaru a few days before in Sengoku Jidai, when they defeated Naraku, she knew that five hundred years had passed and yet, in some ways, he seemed exactly the same. His armor had been replaced by a dark gray wool suit, which complemented his silver hair and golden eyes perfectly. His hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, with a few hairs escaping around the front, giving him a slightly untamed look. His purple and red demon marks still painted his cheeks, as did the purple half-moon on his forehead. If anything, he seemed older, but no less commanding of a presence. Kagome knew he could kill everyone in the room with one swipe of his whip if he were so inclined.

With a flick of his claw, Sesshomaru opened the briefcase and pulled out a series of documents, which he laid out across the table. “This,” he said, looking directly at Inuyasha, “is the paperwork you will need to exist in this century.”

Inuyasha blanched. “What?”

“The paperwork,” Sesshomaru repeated in a bored tone,” you will need to exist in this century.”

Kagome reached across Inuyasha and picked up the pile of papers. “This is…a birth certificate,” she said in a hushed tone, shuffling through the papers, “and your registration on Sesshomaru’s family register…and an ID…and a high school diploma…” She looked up at Sesshomaru, surprised. “Why?”

“If he is to live in this world,” Sesshomaru stated simply, “he must exist.”

Through this exchange Inuyasha had said nothing. Kagome tried to guess his thoughts, but his expression was unreadable. He took the papers from Kagome and sorted through them carefully.

“How did you know I would need these?” he asked, his tone neutral and careful.

Sesshomaru shrugged. “This Sesshomaru was _there_ , little brother. You went into the Meido after the miko. The well was restored; you didn’t return. So, logic would suggest that you went to the miko’s time. Once she was born, once she turned fifteen, preparations could be made.”

“Hold on, hold on,” Kagome burst out, drawing an icy gaze from the older demon. “So you just waited around for us? What are you doing here? How are you even alive? Demons don’t exist in our world.”

“Don’t they?” It was more of a statement than a question. Kagome said nothing.

“So you knew that Kagome was here…that I was most likely here… for the past two years…and you didn’t try to reach out to us? You didn’t contact us, to let us know you were here?” Inuyasha finally spit out. Kagome saw red starting to tinge his golden eyes. She put a reassuring hand over his, and felt him relax under her touch, the red receding from his eyes.

“Actually…” said Mrs. Higurashi in a small voice, speaking for the first time.

“Who do you think restored the Shrine house after you tried to _kaze no kizu_ a cockroach?” Sesshomaru asked dryly.

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other in horror, neither daring to breathe or speak. Kagome could feel Inuyasha’s thoughts; could feel the rage starting to radiate off his body. In a flash she threw herself across him, saying, “ _No_ , Inuyasha…not here.” When he grasped her tightly to him, she whispered, “Please. There’s plenty of time. Not here…not now.”

Sesshomaru stood up abruptly. “You will come home with me, little brother.”

“Like hell I will,” Inuyasha growled, starting to stand, one arm around Kagome still, the other reaching for the sword at his waist.

“I think…” said Mrs. Higurashi hurriedly, “it would be better for Inuyasha-kun to stay here for now.” When that statement drew Sesshomaru’s gaze, she quickly added, “please. The children have just arrived. They are tired and still reeling from a very traumatic time. Let them rest here for now.”

Kagome shot her mother a grateful look.

“Fine,” Sesshomaru said. He turned to Inuyasha. “A car will come for you Sunday at 2,” he stated. “We have much to discuss. And miko,” he added, turning to Kagome, “you will join him.”

“Me?” Kagome said, surprised.

“Your training must continue,” he said carelessly, heading to the door, “and you must meet your teacher.”

“I am perfectly capable of training my granddaughter,” Jii-chan spoke up angrily, only to be hushed when Sesshomaru gave him a withering glare.

“Little brother, miko,” he continued, ignoring Jii-chan, “Until Sunday.”

Inuyasha suddenly jumped up, nearly dumping Kagome on the floor. “Hold, on--Sesshomaru, dammit!” he yelled. “Hold on!” And he ran out the door after the demon lord.

Although it was already April, the night air was bitingly cold. Inuyasha ignored the feel of the cold paving stones outside the shrine house as he chased his bother across the courtyard. “Dammit, onii-san,” he bellowed, using the proper term for “older brother” for maybe the first time in his life, “ _Will you wait?!”_

Sesshomaru paused at the entrance to the shrine, looking bored. “We’ve said all we need to say tonight, little brother.”

“Like hell we have,” Inuyasha spat.

“ _INUYASHA_.” Sesshomaru drew himself to his full height, looking down at his brother, terribly menacing now. “There is nothing more to say tonight. We will talk more on Sunday.” He turned to leave, but then turned back. “Oh, you will need this,” he said carelessly, flicking a small object at his brother. Inuyasha caught it easily and opened his hand; it was a thin band of leather, circled and joined by two beads so the leather could slide back and forth. “What the fuck is this?” Inuyasha snarled.

“A bracelet,” Sesshomaru replied. “A cloaking bracelet. It has an enchantment on it that will hide your appearance from humans. It will keep you safe. Anytime you leave the shrine, be sure you are wearing it. If you slide it on your wrist, adjust the beads and it will fit you. And please,” he added disdainfully, “do not drag the Tetsusaiga around the city. I do not need to conduct any more coverups because of you.” Sesshomaru flicked his wrist at Inuyasha, half mocking, half in farewell, and was gone.

Inuyasha stood alone at the Shrine gate, looking out into the night. Instead of stars, he saw clouds; he saw lights. Instead of crickets and frogs, he heard cars; he heard the noise of the city. Instead of fresh air, he smelled smog and gas and sludge. He emitted a low growl, deep in his chest; how the fuck was he going to survive in this sensory overload that was Kagome’s time?

Outraged, he ran to the shed that housed the Bone Eater’s Well and threw the doors open. The well still stood open; Jii-chan hadn’t yet covered it with his ineffective ofudas. With a howl, he jumped into the well, and howled even more loudly when his feet hit the solid dirt of its 21st century Tokyo floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick note on family registers: in Japan, a family registry (koseki) is where all births, deaths, and marriages are kept. Typically Inuyasha would show up on his parents' koseki, but since they are long gone, it made more sense for Sesshomaru to add him to his registry, with Sesshomaru as the head of that household.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. Friends, Old and New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome learn more about what's happened in the 500 years they've been gone. Sesshomaru makes them an offer they can't refuse. But of course, because he's Sesshomaru, that offer comes with some rules. Inuyasha and Kagome meet their new mentors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the manga or anime characters. Other characters are mine.
> 
> If you're here, you've read the first chapter, so thanks for coming back!
> 
> I am so excited to present to you Chapter 2, where we meet three of my favorite characters! I won't say more, except that I hope you enjoy!

Kagome stepped outside the Shrine house, shivering slightly, her sweater doing little to keep her warm on this cool April night. She was thankful she had remembered to slide her house slippers on; at least they would provide a barrier against the cold paving stones. Around her the air crackled lightly; she unconsciously emitted just a bit of her power in her concern for Inuyasha. After Sesshomaru left, Inuyasha took off after his brother and hadn’t come back. That was two hours ago.

Kagome frowned. This was a worst-case scenario for Inuyasha, she knew. He had never enjoyed spending time in her world, and now he would be forced to live here, maybe permanently. While it seemed like Sesshomaru had adjusted well, he’d had 500 years of progress to adapt to the changes in society. Inuyasha had just a few days here and there over the past two-plus years.

She thought of her family and friends left behind in Sengoku Jidai. _Sango-chan, Miroku-sama, Shippou-chan_ , _Kaede-obaa-chan,_ _what will happen to you_? She thought miserably. She already missed them, especially Sango, who had become her sister, and Shippou, who she thought of as her son. She hoped they would not grieve too long, and be able to continue on with their lives. As for her, as for Inuyasha…how would they be able to move on?

A slight rustle in the trees drew Kagome’s attention. Looking up into the Goshinboku, she noticed a tell-tale red haori poking through the leaves. “Inuyasha?” she called tentatively.

The leaves rustled even more and split as Inuyasha leapt from the tree and landed gracefully in front of her. His arms crossed and he refused to look at her.

“Inuyasha,” she said, going to his side, “are you okay?”

At this the half demon looked down at her, hardened. She put a hand on his arm. He laughed, almost maniacally.

“Oh, I’m just _fine_ ,” he cackled. “Just _fine_.”

“Inu—”

“First, we can’t get back through the well. Then, Sesshomaru shows up, tells us _nothing_ , gives me a bracelet to disguise myself when I go out –”

“He did what?” asked Kagome, startled.

“—Then the well is _still not working_!” He paused. “At least Goshinboku is still here, and still familiar.”

Kagome paused. “Is that the only thing that’s familiar?” she asked, shyly.

Inuyasha looked at her as if he was noticing she was there for the first time. Her hand was still on his arm; he covered it with his own.

“No,” he said in a surprisingly soft tone, “it’s not.”

* * *

“It’s after 2. The car is late,” Inuyasha growled, pulling at his shirt collar.

Kagome sighed. In the four days since Sesshomaru had made a surprise visit to the Sunset Shrine, she’d had her hands full helping Inuyasha adjust to life in 21st century Tokyo. While they had mostly stuck to the shrine grounds—walking in the woods behind the shrine definitely helped calm his nerves—she did manage to coax Inuyasha out to Shinjuku to shop for some new clothes. Among the papers Sesshomaru had left was an envelope with a credit card in Inuyasha’s name (Fujimura Inuyasha, apparently the last name Sesshomaru had adopted…why did that name sound familiar?) with a post-it note that read, “Be reasonable.”

She looked him over critically. While she had certainly been “reasonable” with the spending, Inuyasha had been anything but. He’d protested every step of the way, from shop to shop, complaining about everything from the fabric to the fit. And shoes. Shoes had been the _worst_.

“My feet can’t fucking breathe,” he mumbled under his breath.

“They’re nice shoes,” she told him bluntly. “You’re going to have to get used to it. You can’t go barefoot here unless you’re at the shrine or in someone’s house.”

And they _were_ nice shoes. They were black leather slip-ons, and she made sure they had cushioned soles to help the transition from bare feet. His socks were black, and equally soft. And the rest of his outfit wasn’t terrible, either; while she had made sure to purchase jeans, t-shirts, a hoodie or two, and appropriate underwear and sweats, she also insisted on buying some dressier clothes for various occasions. Today he was wearing black wool pants and a burgundy button-down shirt. His rosary was hidden beneath the shirt. Overall, the effect was simple, but it contrasted beautifully with his silver hair. She thought he looked so, so handsome, even with his bracelet on. It hid his ears and turned his eyes to a deep violet, which weren’t as tantalizing as the gold, but were pretty damn close.

Inuyasha caught her smiling softly at him. “What are you smiling at?” he scowled.

She laughed and hooked her hand through his arm. “You’re cute.”

He looked at her, surprised. _She thinks I’m cute?_ His expression softened. _She thinks I’m cute_.

Her dark brown eyes dancing up at him, he led her down the Shrine steps to the street so they could see the car when it pulled up. He watched her as she stepped delicately, her heels clicking on the stone steps. They were a simple black Mary Jane with a pointed toe and thin heel, and they complimented her red sleeveless dress perfectly. He saw her muscled arms – strong from years of wielding a bow and arrow – flex unconsciously as she used him for balance. Her long black hair was pulled back from her face on either side, braided and then tied at the back of her neck. The rest of her hair flew about her face in the wind. He caught his breath; she was beautiful.

And it wasn’t just her face, or her skin (which was the color of a pearl and incredibly soft), or the shape of her legs under that delicious, too-short skirt. It was the way her body hugged his as they stood together; it was the feeling of her breasts against his chest; it was the curve of her body as her waist flowed into her hips. He was suddenly incredibly aware of all of her, for perhaps the first time ever. Before, he had thought he was in love with her; now, he knew he’d had no idea what love meant.

Standing there on the sidewalk, he felt an overwhelming urge to protect her, to hold her close, to shield her from the world. At the same time, he wanted to keep her free and alive and happy. He wanted to see her eyes sparkle and hear her laugh, just for him. He wanted so many things in that moment, and they all had to do with Kagome. He both wanted to shake his head to clear it, and bask in that moment forever.

“Oooh,” she squealed suddenly, gripping his arm tighter and breaking him from his reverie, “I think that’s the car!”

Inuyasha looked up. A long black car was sidling up to the curb and stopped in front of Inuyasha and Kagome. The window of the front passenger’s side door rolled down, and a dumpy-looking old man with a few strands of white hair clinging to his scalp peered through. “Inuyasha-sama? And the miko?”

“Jaken,” said Inuyasha shortly. Even disguised, he still croaked like an old kappa.

“Come on,” Kagome said, pulling on Inuyasha’s arm, “let’s go.” She opened the back door of the limo and slipped in, Inuyasha following after her.

The interior of the car was beautiful: soft, buttery leather seats and wood paneled sides. A divider separated Jaken from Inuyasha and Kagome. The hanyou and the miko sat together silently as Jaken drove, sullen over his charge. Kagome sensed that Inuyasha was growing tense; his muscles were stiffening, and she could see his jaw becoming set. Quietly she slipped her hand into his.

“It will be fine,” she said to him with a reassuring smile.

“As long as you’re with me, it will be,” he said quietly. Her smile grew wider and she inched closer to him. He slipped his arm around her and she sank into his side. He turned and buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent: vanilla and cherry blossoms. He sighed contentedly.

Inuyasha and Kagome watched as the city rolled by. Eventually they reached the outskirts of Tokyo proper, and came to a large wrought-iron gate. Jaken made a quick call on his cell; the gate opened, and they drove through. Kagome gasped as they went through some stunning gardens and came to a stop in front of an elegant manor. Inuyasha helped Kagome out of the car, and her eyes grew wide at the size of the home.

“It’s basically a castle,” she breathed, trying to count the number of windows and failing.

“He _is_ the Lord of the West,” Inuyasha shrugged.

The large mahogany doors were at least three feet thick, and opened into a marbled foyer. Kagome slipped closer to Inuyasha; he slipped an arm around her waist to keep her secure.

“Inuyasha-otouto-sama? Kagome-chan?” came a voice from the right. They turned their heads to find a beautiful woman rushing out of a side room. She wore a stunning kimono; it was shades of blue and violet with golden chrysanthemums and kosumosus lining the edges and the back. Her dark hair was tied back in an elegant bun. She looked vaguely familiar.

Kagome stopped dead in her tracks. “It—it can’t be possible,” she breathed.

“What can’t be possible?” Inuyasha asked.

“ _Rin._ ”

* * *

“I am sorry we couldn’t make ourselves known to you until now,” Rin said apologetically. “I hope you understand why. Space, time…all that good stuff.”

Rin and Kagome sat around the kitchen island, steaming cups of tea in front of each of them. Sesshomaru had already called Inuyasha to his study. Kagome couldn’t stop staring at her. The last time she’d seen Rin, she was a tiny, messy, very little girl in a checkered kimono. But now, she was beautiful, and grownup, and _still_ _alive_.

Kagome nodded. “I get it. But can you tell me…how are you alive, 500 years after we met?”

Rin laughed: a shiny, sparkling laugh. “Inuyasha never told you?”

“Told me what?”

“What happens when a human mates with a youkai.”

Kagome nearly spit out her tea. “I’m sorry, what? _Mates?_ ”

Now Rin’s laughter was full and throaty. “He really never has said anything? I can’t say I’m surprised. That boy was never very good at using his words.” She paused for dramatic effect. “When a human mates with a youkai, they receive some of their life energy through an exchange of blood. As part of that union, the human’s life span will match the youkai. They are tied together for eternity. When one dies, the other will follow soon after, as one cannot live without the other.”

“And _why_ would Inuyasha tell me all this?”

Now it was Rin’s turn to be surprised. “Well, because he wants to be mated to you, of course.”

This time Kagome did spit out her tea. “I’m sorry,” she said as Rin wiped it up. “How do you know this?”

Rin hesitated. “You mean he hasn’t asked you?”

Kagome looked down, shy. “No.”

“Interesting.” Rin looked down at her hands idly.

The women sat silently for several minutes. Then Kagome asked, “Wait, Rin...so if a human can share a youkai’s life span if they’re mated, then…who are you mated to?”

Rin’s smile grew even wider. “I’m mated to Sesshomaru.”

* * *

Inuyasha sat across from his brother, the Inu no Taisho, the Lord of West, scowling and feeling an intense desire to smash something. Sesshomaru lounged behind his great desk, looking bored.

“Well, you summoned us here,” Inuyasha grumbled. “So, why are we here?”

“Don’t you think it’s nice to catch up after so many years, little brother?” Sesshomaru asked in a flat tone.

“It’s only been like five days for me, baka,” muttered Inuyasha.

“True,” mused Sesshomaru, “and yet the days feel like years.” He reached into his desk and pulled out some paperwork.

“Great,” said Inuyasha, “more paperwork.”

“As the Lord of the West,” began Sesshomaru, ignoring his brother, “This Sesshomaru rules over all the Western lands, just as Kouga, as Lord of the North, rules over the Northern lands…”

“Wait, Kouga is a Lord?” exclaimed Inuyasha. “When the hell did that happen? Who let that mangy wolf be in charge?”

“And as part of my rule, it is imperative that I have an heir,” continued Sesshomaru, ignoring Inuyasha again and moving to a more personal pronoun to describe himself. “Because I have not yet produced a male heir, my next living male relative must be named the heir. Time grows short, and my enemies look to eliminate me and take my kingdom for their own.”

“And this affects me how, exactly?” Now it was Inuyasha’s turn to be bored.

Sesshomaru looked him dead in the eye, but Inuyasha refused to flinch. “Baka. _You_ are this Sesshomaru’s nearest living male relative. I need to name _you_ as my heir.”

Inuyasha gasped—actually gasped—and then began to laugh. “You’ve gotta be kidding me, right? Seriously, what’s the catch? What’s the joke here? Because this is pretty fucking funny. Me, Lord Sesshomaru’s heir?” He laughed louder and louder, kicking his legs and holding his sides.

“Little brother,” said Sesshomaru, his left eyebrow twitching, “Time is of the essence. I must make you my heir.”

Inuyasha stopped laughing. “You’re not kidding.”

“This Sesshomaru does not kid.”

Inuyasha pushed back in his chair and flexed his arms over his head. “So let me get this straight. You don’t have a son, and your enemies – which I’m sure are abundant—are plotting your downfall. If you name an heir, your kingdom remains intact. Good so far?” He took Sesshomaru’s silence as an assent. “So if I agree to this, what’s in it for me?”

Sesshomaru turned a deadly gaze to his brother. “You will be the Prince of the West; you will be my heir. You and the miko will want for nothing. How does that sound?”

Inuyasha drew his arms forward and cracked his knuckles. “Not bad. Do I get to whoop your enemies if they fall out of line?”

Sesshomaru _almost_ laughed; Inuyasha saw a flicker of a smile cross his face. “So you want to be my enforcer?” He paused. “Maybe so.”

“However,” he continued, “I do have some rules.”

Inuyasha growled. He’d known this was coming.

Sesshomaru pushed a button on his desk. “Send in the miko,” he said tonelessly. He then turned to Inuyasha. “Before she gets here,” he added, “one more thing.”

Inuyasha raised his eyebrows.

“You must mate the miko as soon as possible.”

“What the hell, Sesshomaru!” he sputtered. “I can’t…”

“You must,” his brother replied. “For the Lord of the West and his heir to be mated will only help to strengthen our position and our line.”

“Oi, I don’t even know if she wants…”

“If I want what?”

Inuyasha turned a ridiculous shade of red as Kagome came into the room. “You sent for me, my Lord?” she said, a little ice in her tone.

Sesshomaru gestured to the empty chair next to his brother; Kagome sat down.

“My brother has decided to take my offer to be my heir,” he said simply.

“I haven’t fucking agreed to anything—”

“And as such,” Sesshomaru continued, “This Sesshomaru has several rules that you will both follow.”

Kagome raised an eyebrow. “That we _both_ will follow?”

Sesshomaru ignored Kagome as well. “Rule One: miko, you must graduate high school. You will return to your studies, and attend school regularly.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Kagome said.

“Rule Two: you will join the archery club at school.” Kagome looked at him, surprised. “It will keep you fresh and help you continue that aspect of your training. Just don’t purify anyone,” he added.

Kagome nodded.

“Rule Three: you will attend miko training here twice a week; daily when you are on holiday from school.”

“Wait a minute,” she protested, “Just who is going to train me?”  
  
Sesshomaru gazed at her, clearly bored. “This Sesshomaru has found someone who will be adequate. You will meet him shortly.” He turned to Inuyasha next.

“Rule Four: little brother, you will attend tutoring here every day while Kagome is at school and in training.”

“Like fucking hell I will—”

“This is essential for your survival in this world,” Sesshomaru said, raising his voice slightly and looking his brother hard in the face. Kagome reached across to squeeze Inuyasha’s hand; he relaxed slightly. “We need to assess your intellectual prowess to determine how long you will need to study before you can apply to college. You _will attend university_ ,” he added fiercely when Inuyasha looked to protest. “Again, this is essential for your survival in this world.”

“Why can’t I just work at the Shrine?” Inuyasha muttered.

“And who do you think will run the Shrine after Kagome’s grandfather dies?” Sesshomaru asked him bluntly.

“He’s right, Inuyasha,” said Kagome quietly. He looked at her face; her eyes were bright and passionate. She turned her gaze to meet his. “This is an incredible opportunity. If that’s what you really want, then you will be able help to help Mama run the Shrine. You can get a business degree and help her manage the accounting, along with the day-to-day operations. It would be really, really helpful.”

Inuyasha’s breath caught in his throat. If it would make Kagome happy…

“All right, bastard,” he growled at Sesshomaru. “What else?”

“Rule Five: Like the miko, you will also train here. You will most likely train every day, after your academic studies are complete.”

Inuyasha was silent. This was reasonable.

“Rule Six: You will join me on my duties to the kingdom as needed. _As needed_ ,” he emphasized when Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest.

“Rule Seven: after college, you will also join me as a Vice President in the family company. If you want to continue working at the shrine, that is fine, but you must assume a role in the company.”

“Family company…” Kagome murmured. She shot up. “Wait. Do you own Fujimura Technologies?”

Sesshomaru said nothing. “You know this company?” Inuyasha asked her.

“Of course!” said Kagome enthusiastically. “Only the biggest tech company in all of Japan. Can _I_ be a Vice President?” she asked Sesshomaru.

“Can she do it instead of me?” Inuyasha begged.

Sesshomaru paused. “Miko, if you join this family, we will continue this conversation at a later date. This Sesshomaru knows his little brother doesn’t have much of a mind for…anything, really, unless it involves his fists—” Inuyasha growled softly “—so maybe an arrangement can be made.”

Kagome blushed. _If she joined this family…_ she thought of her conversation with Rin earlier and blushed even more deeply.

Inuyasha scowled and sank into his seat. “Anything else, _elder brother?_ ”

“Only the other thing we discussed,” Sesshomaru replied blandly. He rose. “Now,” he said, turning to Kagome, “Would you like to meet your mentor?”

“Oh, yes!” Kagome jumped up.

“Who will be _my_ mentor?” Inuyasha asked, suddenly interested.

Sesshomaru ignored him and swept from the room, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha in his terrifying wake.

“Well,” said Kagome, taking Inuyasha by the hand, “do I call you _Prince_ Inuyasha now?”

“What the actual fuck, wench?” he exclaimed. “Of all the stupid, ridiculous…” he now saw that she was giggling. “Oh, come on!” he yelled.

“Inuyasha, you baka,” she laughed, kissing his cheek, “I don’t need to call you ‘Prince.’ You’re already _my_ prince—that goes without saying.”

Inuyasha said nothing, but smiled to himself. Maybe being mated to her wouldn’t be so bad, after all.

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome, holding hands, followed Sesshomaru outside to a beautiful courtyard. The gardens were lush, and full of violets and camellias, as appropriate for the early spring weather. In opposite corners were fountains, which were running and generating a happy bubbling sound. Stone benches surrounded the fountains, and behind the benches, sakura trees, making for a cozy, private space to sit. There was an open space in the middle of the courtyard, covered in a thick, soft grass, and this is where Sesshomaru led them.

In the middle of the courtyard, a young man and two young women were sparring. The young man was using a staff, and the young women were each armed with a short broadsword. They all wore traditional gi and hakama, as befitting their kenjustu training. The young man had a short ponytail worn low at the back of his neck; one young woman had long silver hair, and the other, long brown hair, which they each wore swept up in a tight ponytail. The thwack of swords against staff resounded over and over in a rhythmic, almost soothing manner. The young man met each attack swiftly, as if he were able to predict his opponents’ moves. They watched as the young man brought in a sharp jab, only to have one of the young women jump up, somersault over him, grab him by the neck, and bring the sword to his throat.

“Do you yield, jackass?” she hissed.

The young man chuckled. “Not…just…yet!” In a stunning move, he knocked the sword out of her hand and flipped her over his shoulder, onto her back, where he brought the staff to her throat. “Now, my darling,” he said amiably, “I believe that’s checkmate.”

“Dammit,” the woman howled, but allowed the man to help her to her feet.

“Oh, he got you _good_ this time, sis!” yelled the second woman, who Inuyasha and Kagome could see was much younger.

“I believe we have company, my dear,” said the man, gesturing to the three who were watching the battle with great interest.

“Sayua, it is as I have told you,” Sesshomaru said, stepping forward, “always protect your blind side. Be prepared for the worst. You must stay a step ahead of the enemy.”

“Yes, Father,” she replied.

“Father!” Inuyasha and Kagome exclaimed together.

“Yes,” said Sesshomaru. “This is my eldest daughter, Sayua.” The girl inclined her head politely; she had dog ears like Inuyasha, and golden eyes and silver hair, like both brothers. “And my younger daughter, Asuka.” The second girl bowed her head, eyeing Inuyasha and Kagome thoughtfully. While she also had dog ears, her eyes and hair were both a deep brown.

“And this is Sayua’s mate, Hideaki,” he continued. The young man smiled jovially and came forward, extending his hand to Inuyasha, who accepted the enthusiastic handshake.

“You seem…familiar…” Inuyasha said slowly. Kagome gasped.

“Miroku! You look just like him!”

Hideaki smiled. “He was my father.”

“Your father?”

“Yes,” Hideaki smiled, “my father. But since I mated Sayua, my lifeline matches hers.”

“For now,” Sesshomaru said. Sayua glared at her father. “Father, _really_ ,” she said warningly.

“You must be my father’s best friends, Inuyasha and Kagome,” Hideaki continued, ignoring both Sesshomaru and Sayua. “I’ve heard so much about you. I’m sorry we couldn’t make our presence known to you sooner, but…”

“Space, time, all that,” said Kagome with a grin. He really looked just like his father. It was comforting to see a friendly face.

Hideaki laughed; his father’s laugh. “Exactly.” He took Kagome’s arm and started walking her back to the main house. “So I believe that I will be training you.”

Kagome blushed; she heard Inuyasha growl behind her, but she couldn’t help it. He was awfully cute, and charming. “Really? Are you a monk like your dad?”

Hideaki smiled at her. “I am. Not as strong, though.”

“You have your mother’s fighting prowess to make up for that, though,” said Sayua, coming up beside them and smiling at her mate. Hideaki grinned back at her, Kagome momentarily forgotten.

“Perhaps so,” he mused. “But,” he said, turning back to Kagome, “I should be able to help you grow and refine your powers.”

“I’m sure you will,” she replied enthusiastically. “I can’t wait to begin training.” She ignored when Inuyasha snorted.

“He’s _definitely_ the monk’s kid,” Inuyasha commented to his brother.

“Perhaps,” said Sesshomaru, “but he has been almost an acceptable mate for my daughter.”

“Hey, my Lord,” responded Hideaki, “I did hear that, you know.”

Sayua fell back and walked beside Inuyasha. “So you are my uncle,” she commented, brushing a stray silver hair out of her face.

“No denying the family connection,” responded Inuyasha.

“Even her personality mirrors yours, little brother,” murmured Sesshomaru, but both Inuyasha and Sayua heard him perfectly well.

“We’ve heard you’ve got quite a mouth, Uncle,” said Asuka, linking arms with her father and looking at her uncle quizzically.

“Sonofabitch,” Inuyasha muttered. Asuka and Sayua both laughed.

“See, sis?” said Askua. “Just like you.”

“We will be training you, you know,” Sayua added to Inuyasha. Asuka nodded, grinning, her arm still looped through her father’s.

Now it was Inuyasha’s turn to laugh. “Look, little girls, I’m not sure who told you that I’m a weakling, but I think I would soundly kick your asses. And I don’t like kicking a girl’s ass, especially when she’s my niece.”

“Careful, little brother,” said Sesshomaru. “Sayua and Asuka are both incredibly strong hanyou. You may be surprised by what they can do.”

“With the Tetsusaiga it won’t be a fair contest,” Inuyasha pointed out.

“True,” said his brother, “but you have already mastered the Tetsusaiga. We will be training you in other ways. You will see,” he added when Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest. “For now, we eat. Rin is probably climbing the walls waiting for us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kenjutsu: roughly translates to "the technique or the method of the sword," as opposed to kendo, or "the way of the sword." In this case, Sayua and Asuka are both practicing with metal swords, which would be acceptable in kenjutsu, and are wearing traditional gi and troursers. 
> 
> The flowers on Rin's kimono are both autumn flowers. I know it's spring, but I was going for the significance in terms of the floral language. Chrysanthemums are noble and pure, and kosumosus are a symbol of love. Perfect for Rin, right?
> 
> I know that there is some debate about Sesshomaru's role as Lord of the West, but for the intents and purposes of this fanfic, I liked the idea of keeping the position for him. It will play a significant role in later chapters. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, all!


	3. Together at Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things finally start to progress romantically for our favorite inu hanyou and miko! Jii-chan isn't happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters from the manga/anime. Sayua, Asuka,and Hideaki are mine :)
> 
> Thank you for continuing to read! I hope you enjoy this chapter, which is a little short, but I wanted to just focus on Inuyasha and Kagome's evolving relationship here. And, this chapter is dedicated to my friend, who needed something to read today.

Inuyasha and Kagome sat together on the sofa, exhausted from the day. They felt a little stunned, a little shell-shocked, if you will—Sesshomaru’s family was loud, and, if it was possible, friendly? Inuyasha’s head rested against Kagome’s shoulder; she was absently playing with one of his ears. He growled contentedly, then turned his head so she could rub the other ear.

“So, Sesshomaru…seems different,” Kagome commented.

“Hmph,” grumbled Inuyasha. “Scratch, wench.”

Kagome smiled softly. He clearly didn’t want to discuss the day, and she wouldn’t push…for now. She liked the change that had come over him in the past week, how he seemed softer, more open, more into her…since the jewel had been destroyed, since they had gotten stuck in 21st century Tokyo, since…they had kissed. A kiss they had yet to address.

Kagome remembered the kiss vividly. She had been so alone, trapped in the Shikon no Tama, scared of what was happening. The feeling of darkness and emptiness had threatened to overwhelm her; it almost did. The jewel kept trying to push her to make a wish—a wish to see Inuyasha, in particular. But when she had asked if that was the “correct wish,” the jewel was silent, and she had known that it was not. That wish had failed Kikyo, over fifty years before, and she hoped she had learned something from her soul’s previous occupant. Instead of making a wish, she chose to wait for Inuyasha to come for her, and he had. He sliced through the fabric of time and space to reach her, and when he found her, he had kissed her. And it was tender; it was loving; it was everything she’d ever hoped it would be. She wished the jewel would disappear forever, and it did, but so did their ability to travel back to the Sengoku Jidai.

But that had been over a week ago, and in some ways, it felt like it had changed everything, and in others, it felt like it had changed nothing.

“Oi, Kagome,” said Inuyasha suddenly, sitting up to look at her, “why’d you stop?”

She took in his face: his beautiful golden eyes, his strong and handsome nose, his lips, with just the barest hint of his fangs peeking out from between them. His brow furrowed with worry as he stared back at her. She longed to feel his lips against hers again, to feel his arms around her, to feel his love—she was so sure it had been love. But now she wasn’t as sure.

“I—I just,” she stammered, blushing under his direct gaze.

He reached out and touched her cheek with his hand. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice soft with concern.

He was so close—she couldn’t help it—she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.

Inuyasha was shocked. She was…kissing…him? They had kissed before—twice, actually—but this was…this was…

He paused to collect himself. Her lips were tentative against his; she tasted of cherries; he was becoming engulfed in her vanilla and sakura scent. She was so delicious, so nervous, so intoxicating. He leaned forward and kissed her back, feeling Kagome inhale sharply at the pressure on her lips. Inuyasha smiled to himself and pressed harder, his arms pulling her closer to him, his hands becoming lost in her dark hair. He pushed his tongue forward, and she complied, opening her lips to let him in. His youki howled in glee as he devoured her, explored her mouth with his tongue, delighting in the experience that was Kagome.

At last he pulled away from her, breathing heavily, his arousal clear to anyone who looked at his pants. She was nervous, but…her arousal was also clear. She wasn’t ready for anything more, he decided. Not yet.

“Inu—yasha?” she asked tentatively.

He smiled. “I’ve wanted to do that for a _very_ long time,” he told her. The spike in her arousal almost drove him insane.

She let out a deep breath that she hadn’t even been aware she was holding. “Really?”

He pulled her close again, kissing her softly, his fangs playing over her lips. She sighed. “Really.”

Now Kagome pulled away from him, rested her head on his shoulder, and took one of his hands in hers. She ran her fingers over the length of his hand, marveling at the size and strength of his fingers in comparison to hers. “I’ve wanted this, too,” she said. “I was thinking about when I was in the Shikon no Tama, and you came for me, and you kissed me. How you saved me.”

“Keh,” he said carelessly. “We saved each other, wench.” This was affectionate; he smiled as he said it.

“Maybe so,” she replied carefully, “but I have…loved you…for a long time, Inuyasha.” She paused as his hand tightened around hers. “That kiss was everything to me, but I didn’t know if it was everything to you.”

“Kagome,” he said, tweaking her chin so their faces were centimeters apart, “ _you_ are everything to me.”

She smiled; her heart grew warm at his words. “Does that mean,” she answered slowly, “you want to mate me?”

He pulled back, shocked. “Where the _hell_ did you hear about mating?”

“From Rin.” He paused, turning red, but then nodded in understanding. “Is that what you want?” she asked him.

Inuyasha decided honesty would be the best policy. “I do,” he said, “but I don’t think you are ready.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he kissed her lightly to keep her from talking. “In this time, you’re young to take a mate.”

“I don’t care,” she replied hotly. “I want you. I want to _be_ with you. I want to spend my life with you.”

“And I want to spend my life with you,” he answered frankly. “But this is forever, wench. I’m inu youkai. We mate for life. And if you become my mate, that life will be long. Thousands of years long. Even as a hanyou, I’m going to live a very, very long time.”

“I don’t care,” she repeated. “The longer my life, the longer I get to be with you.”

He smiled. She was so cute when she was angry and petulant. He brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. “Your scent tells me you’re not ready.”

Now she looked surprised. “My—scent?”

“Yeah. You smell of vanilla and sakura usually. Just now, I could also smell your arousal, and I gotta tell ya, it took every ounce of my strength to not take you up to your room and fuck the daylights out of you.” She turned bright red at his bluntness. “You want me,” he added, “but you’re also nervous about what that means.”

“You’re—not wrong,” she admitted. “I want to be with you, so much, but you’re right.” She sighed. “I’m only seventeen, and I’ve got another year of high school. I need to apply to college. I need to refine my powers. There’s so much I want to do, and I want you to be a part of it. I don’t, though, want a baby to be a part of it.”

He chuckled. So _that’s_ what was holding her back. “No worries there, wench. I can also smell when you’re in heat.” She gasped. “When you are fertile, if that’s better. If you don’t want a pup, we don’t have to have one. Not until you’re ready.”

She visibly relaxed. “That’s good.” She took his hand in hers again, and brought it to her lips. He almost went crazy at her touch. “Can you tell me about what it means for you to take me as your mate?”

Inuyasha leaned back against the end of the couch, one leg draped over the side. He brought her flush against his chest, and put his arms around her waist. She began to play with his hair thoughtfully. “You know about the sex part, I assume,” he began dryly. She nodded. “It’s more than that, though.” He smiled as she absently braided a lock of his hair. “When we mate, I will also need to mark you, and you need to mark me.”

“Mark…how?” she asked, finishing one little braid and starting another.

“It’s a blood bond,” he told her. “In order for you to live as long as me, you need some of my youkai blood, and I need some of your human blood. So I will bite you, suck some of your blood, and you will need to do the same. Because you’re a miko, our auras will also mesh. I think,” he added as an afterthought.  
  
“What if I can’t break your skin?” she asked.

He flexed his claws at her. “I’m pretty sure I can help with that.” She laughed and moved on to a third braid.

“So…” she said slowly. “When should we do this?”

“When you’re ready,” he replied. “And we will know when that is. In the meantime,” he said, tilting her chin up to his face, “we’ve got plenty of things we can do to occupy ourselves.” He kissed her again, breathlessly, her hand coming up to caress his face. He sighed under her touch.

“One more question,” she said, pulling away. “You’re going to stay here with me, right?”

“You bet,” he answered. “Do you think I’d _want_ to stay at my bastard of a brother’s house?”

“Are you going to keep sleeping in my room, then?”

“Do you _want_ me to keep sleeping in your room?”

“I do,” she said honestly. “I like having you near me. I sleep better knowing you’re close by.”

“The same goes for me, wench,” he replied. “But what do you think your mother will think about that, given that it’s going to be awfully hard for me to keep my hands off you now?”

“We’re not mated yet, Inuyasha,” she pointed out.

“We’re not,” he admitted, “but you are my intended. I have asked, and you have accepted.”

“So basically we’re engaged?” she asked.

“Engaged?”

“Yeah. In human custom, it means that we are planning to marry.”

“Engaged…” he thought the word over. “Yeah, I guess we are.”

Her smile was so bright it outshone the lights in the room. “Can we tell my mom?”

He smiled back. “You bet we can. But will she let me keep sleeping in your room?”

Kagome’s brow furrowed in thought. “I think that as long as we promise not to do anything untoward, she’ll be okay with it. She knows you protect me while I sleep, and it’s easier for you to do that if we’re in the same room.”

“Okay,” he said, “when she and the old man get back, we’ll tell them.”

* * *

“Oh, no, absolutely not,” Jii-chan exclaimed, “over my dead body will you be engaged to this half-demon.”

Kagome put her head between her hands and sighed. She had been hoping her grandfather would at least be happy. She’d even tried to butter him up; she cleaned the living room and the kitchen, and cooked his favorite meal (okonomiyaki). But as soon as she told her family she and Inuyasha were engaged, he went absolutely bananas.

Her mother and Souta were, on the other hand, ecstatic. Souta had actually high-fived Inuyasha when she told them, and her mother’s eyes were shining with joy.

“Inuyasha-kun,” she said, rubbing his ears affectionately, “I have been waiting for the day I would be able to call you my son. It looks like that day will be sooner rather than later. And although I’m not exactly happy about this happening while Kagome is still in high school,” she looked at her daughter pointedly, “I’m still thrilled.” Her smile helped to melt the tension in the room.

“Daughter, how can you find him an acceptable husband?” Jii-chan choked out. His face was beet red, and his eyes looked apoplectic. “How will he make his way in this world? How will he provide for Kagome and their—” he choked again “—family?”

Inuyasha turned to the old man, eyes fierce. “My older brother is the Inu no Taisho, the Lord of the Western Lands,” he said.

  
“And the President of a tech giant,” Kagome helpfully supplied.

“I have recently accepted my brother’s offer to become his heir, as he has no son,” Inuyasha continued. Kagome was astonished at how grown-up and mature he sounded. It excited her.

Inuyasha noticed her arousal, and tried very hard not to waver in his tone. He had to be forceful. “Once the process is complete, I will assume my role as the Prince of the West—”

“—And the Vice-President of a tech giant.” Kagome was again quite helpful here.

“—And that should suffice in terms of my ability to care for my mate and our pups,” he concluded coolly. “I am sure that my brother will come to see you to make all the necessary arrangements.”

“Your demonic titles mean nothing to me, boy!” Jii-chan hissed. “You will not marry my granddaughter.”

“Jii-chan,” Mrs. Higurashi broke in, “I don’t know if we have a choice. They clearly love each other, and they want to be together.”

“Kagome,” Jii-chan implored, turning to his granddaughter with watery eyes, “you cannot be serious. You cannot. What about the nice boy who always calls asking about you? Hodo, Hobo…”

“Hojo, Jii-chan,” interjected Souta happily. He expertly separated his okonomiyaki with his chopsticks and took a bite. This was getting good.

“Hojo,” continued Jii-chan, “What about him?”

Kagome snorted; Inuyasha had to hide a chuckle. “Please, Jii-chan. Hojo’s nice and all, but he’s boring and stiff as a post.” She smiled softly. “He’s not Inuyasha.”

Jii-chan’s scowl rivaled Inuyasha’s on a good day. “Make the arrangements, then. I will need to see this _Lord of the West_ as soon as possible.”

“Jii-chan!” exclaimed Kagome. “It’s not like we’re getting married tomorrow!”

“Yeah,” added Inuyasha, “We want to wait until she’s done with high school.”

Jii-chan huffed. “Finally, something reasonable has been said,” he murmured. “You, half-demon,” he said, turning to Inuyasha.

“His name’s Inuyasha, Jii-chan,” said Kagome, trying to keep the warning out of her tone.

“I still wish to meet with your brother,” he said, a little more calmly. “It would seem we have much to discuss. Will you be staying here during the length of your engagement?” he asked conversationally.

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other, both inwardly groaning.

“I’d rather die than go live with my bastard half-brother,” Inuyasha growled. Then, as if he’d had some kind of realization, he suddenly stood up straight and bowed to Jii-chan and Mrs. Higurashi. “If it’s all right, I would like to continue living here. I’m happy to help around the shrine. My brother has made arrangements for me to study with a tutor and to train while Kagome is in school, and he has requested that she come to the manor twice a week to continue her training.” He turned to Mrs. Higurashi. “You have always been kind and welcomed me here. Quite frankly, I’m not comfortable in this era yet, and I’d like to remain with Kagome and…” he lowered his head and his voice became nothing more than a whisper, “…with you.”

Mrs. Higurashi’s face softened. She pulled Inuyasha into a hug. “As I said, I already thought of you as my son,” she said affectionately, reaching up to rub one of his ears tenderly, causing him to purr. “Of course you can stay.” She saw Jii-chan open his mouth to protest, and quickly added, “Inuyasha has offered to help around the shrine. He will be studying and training. He will more than earn his keep.” Jii-chan closed his mouth and gave a small nod. He may have been the shrine priest, but Mrs. Higurashi ruled the household. He could not go against her wishes.

“Fine,” Jii-chan said firmly. “Half-demon—”

“Inuyasha,” Kagome corrected.

“—we will work a schedule for you to assist me around the shrine, so that it will not interfere with your studies or your training.”

Inuyasha smiled widely, Mrs. Higurashi having switched to rubbing his other ear. “Thank you, sir.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okonomiyaki: in America we might call it "Japanese pizza," but I think that name does it a disservice. It's a savory pancake, usually made with flour, eggs, shredded cabbage, some kind of protein, and then topped with condiments. The name is loosely translated to, "Okonomi" (how you like it or what you like) and "yaki" (grilled). So basically it's what you like, grilled. They are delicious :)
> 
> Thanks again for reading the chapter! Thoughts are always welcome.


	4. An Ounce of Normalcy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome goes back to school and tries out for the archery team. Inuyasha starts his training at Sesshomaru's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the manga/anime characters. The little girls and the would-be monk are mine :)
> 
> Inuyasha starts his educational curriculum in this chapter! What is he going to study? Will Kagome make the archery team? Enjoy reading! :)

Her first day of school back in so, so long. Kagome grinned as Inuyasha escorted her up to the front of the school. She looked beautiful in her uniform, he thought—the blue plaid skirt with the little vest and tie was much more appealing than the green skirt and white top she’d worn in Sengoku Jidai.

Kagome, on the other hand, was _nervous_. Had the doors always looked so huge and intimidating? She hadn’t been to school for more than a few days in a row for so long. Now, she was here: here to stay, forever. For the first time in over two years, she was living a regular high school existence (well, almost regular). And she wasn’t quite sure she would be able to handle it. Day after day after day of drudgery: literature, science, math, English…how would she handle the arbitrariness of a school existence? Could she do even do it anymore, with all she had seen? The monotony of classes, the juvenile behavior of students, the hoops she would have to jump through in order to succeed in the world…although she had missed it, now that she was on the other side, she missed the excitement of the unknown that had been her life in the past. Back then, she never knew what youkai were lurking around the corner; every day she ran the risk of facing death’s door, and it excited her. Now, she was faced with the prospect of every day being the same for the rest of her life. She frowned and sighed.

Inuyasha’s voice snapped her out of her reverie. “Are you _sure_ you don’t want me to come and check on you at lunch?” he asked. She suddenly remembered: her life could never be dull with Inuyasha in it.

“Keh,” Kagome responded with a smile. “You need to concentrate on your studies. You can’t be going back and forth between Sesshomaru’s place and here.” She stood on tiptoe and lightly kissed his nose. “I’ll see you after school. Don’t forget I have to try out for the archery club today.”

“Good luck,” Inuyasha said, kissing her lips softly.

She laughed. “I think you’ll need more luck than me. You’re going to be at Sesshomaru’s house all day, every day. School is like a vacation compared to that!”

She wasn’t wrong, Inuyasha thought as his eyes followed her shapely ass in that little plaid skirt up the school steps. Embarrassed by his thoughts, he turned and headed away from the school in the direction of Sesshomaru’s manor.

“Kagome!” cried three familiar voices behind her. Kagome inwardly groaned, but flashed a bright smile in her friends’ direction. “Eri, Yuka, Ayumi…” she sighed. “How’s it going?”

“Was that Inuyasha dropping you off?” Eri squealed.

Kagome smiled as the girls walked into school together. “It was.”

“He looks so cute!” Ayumi sighed. “You are so lucky.”

“Oh, I know it,” Kagome giggled. “We’re—” she paused, unsure if she should tell her friends.

The girls reached the lockers and began taking off their outdoor shoes and tying on their uwagustu. “You’re what, Kagome?” asked Eri pointedly. Her voice dropped. “Did you—have you--?”

Kagome felt a hot flush creep up her face. “No!” she exclaimed hotly. “Not yet, anyway…”

Yuka stood in front of her friend, pointing at her chest. “Spill,” she said.

“Nothing is official yet, but…” Kagome stopped, trying to sort out her own feelings. “I think we might be engaged?”

* * *

After her first full day of school in what felt like forever, Kagome was exhausted—and totally lost. She was going to have to do some major studying to catch up, especially in English and math. They were both foreign languages to her! English had so many rules, and so many of them made _no sense_. And math…whoever decided numbers and letters and symbols all belonged in the same logic sentence should suffer a cruel, painful death at Inuyasha’s hands.

Kagome chuckled as she made her way to the gym. She missed him, and couldn’t wait until he came to pick her up so she could hear all about his day at Sesshomaru’s. Whatever she’d been though, Inuyasha had probably had it worse. Although what she was about to do had her knees almost knocking.

Suzuki-sensei’s office was off to the side of the girls’ changing room. She knocked hesitantly. “Come in!” she heard a firm voice call, and Kagome tentatively opened the door.

“Excuse me, Suzuki-sensei?” she said cautiously, bowing.

The woman behind the large oak desk looked up. She wore large, round, tortoise-shell glasses, and her hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail. She looked impossibly young to be a high school teacher. Behind her desk were two glass cases full of trophies. The archery club coach was strong, and good. This was going to be tough.

“I’m Higurashi—Higurashi Kagome,” Kagome said. “I’d like to join the archery club.”

Suzuki-sensei leaned forward, looking her over, her glasses tipping forward on her nose. “Really,” she said.

“Yes, ma’am,” she replied, shifting nervously from one leg to the other.

Suzuki-sensei stood up and walked over to where Kagome was standing. She continued to eye her curiously. “And what,” she said carefully, “makes you think you can join the archery club?”

Kagome paused. _What do I tell her? That I’ve been killing youkai with sacred arrows in the Sengoku Jidai for the past two years? That I killed the most evil youkai—hanyou, really—in history with my arrow? That I pierced the Shikon no Tama and survived hell? That’ll go over well._ “I—I’ve been practicing a lot at home. I’m decent. I’d like to help the school club.” _Not entirely a lie._

Suzuki-sensei frowned. “You really think you contribute?”

“Suzuki-sensei,” said Kagome, gaining confidence, “give me a bow and arrow, and let me show you what I can do.”

Suzuki-sensei nodded. “Let’s go.” She led Kagome out of her office and out of the gym, to the practice field. There was a covered space where a row of girls was practicing, shooting their arrows out into the field at the targets. “Do you have your own bow?”

Kagome shook her head. “Not with me, I’m sorry.”

Suzuki-sensei sighed. “Very well.” She pulled a bow out of a barrel in the corner, and handed it to Kagome, along with a quiver of arrows. “Let’s see what you can do.” She turned to one of the girls who was waiting her turn. “Yamazaki-kun!” she called to the girl, who hurried forward. “Set that target at 5 meters.” Yamazaki-kun, who Kagome didn’t recognize, hurried out to the field and set an open target at 5 meters.

 _Who was she kidding? 5 meters? Piece of cake._ Kagome stood in front of the open target, Yamazaki having raced back to the safety of the pen. Kagome held the bow and nocked an arrow. She took a deep breath, carefully not to release any of her energy. “Hit the mark,” she murmured, and let it fly. The arrow whizzed through the air and struck the target neatly, dead center.

If Suzuki-sensei was surprised, she didn’t show it. “Yamazaki-kun,” she said instead, “move the target to 8 meters.”

When Yamazaki-kun had moved the target to the desired distance, Kagome nocked another arrow. She took another deep breath, focusing carefully. “Hit the mark,” she whispered again, and let the arrow fly. With a thwack, the arrow struck the target again, in the middle of the bullseye.

And so the target was moved back to 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 meters. Again and again Kagome let her arrows fly with calm and ease, and each time they hit the target, dead center. She felt peaceful; it was funny how not having to shoot as if her life depended on it allowed her to increase her focus. Finally, the target was against the back of the field, and once again, Kagome’s arrow struck the target—not quite dead center, but still in the yellow of the bullseye.

Now Suzuki-sensei’s eyebrows were raised. Where had this girl come from?

Kagome smiled widely. “Do I make the club?”

Suzuki-sensei smiled back, in spite of herself. “Be here tomorrow, right after school. We practice until 5:00. I’ll give you the list of our meets. Can you bring money for a uniform? It will be 8,000 yen. We can lend you a bow until you get one of your own.”

“I can bring it, and I’ll have my bow by next week,” Kagome said immediately. She bowed respectfully. “Thank you for the opportunity. I look forward to tomorrow.” She turned and went back into the school to collect her belongings and meet Inuyasha, who was hopefully not tearing apart the school looking for her.

* * *

Inuyasha had, meanwhile, had an interesting time at Sesshomaru’s.

Sesshomaru was not there to greet him when he arrived; instead, Rin opened the door with a warm smile.

“Inuyasha-otouto-sama!” she said happily, taking his arm. “Are you ready for a day of training?”

He couldn’t help but smile back at Rin, but couldn’t say he was ready. It was no matter; she kept up a steady stream of chatter as she led him to the solarium, which had been designated as his study. There, at a large table set among the tropical plants, sat a familiar young man.

“Hideaki,” Inuyasha growled. The man in question rose, and bowed. “Inuyasha-sama,” he said respectfully, “I hope you will allow me to tutor you. I hold a PhD in neuroscience from Tokyo University, I’m fluent in six languages, and I’ve been alive for the past 500 years, so I have a first-hand account of history.”

“And you have enough spiritual power to train Kagome, too,” Rin added.

Inuyasha sat across from Hideaki and sighed. “Let’s get on with it.”

The two spent the day studying a variety of topics. Hideaki was mostly using the day to test Inuyasha’s knowledge and abilities. He found the hanyou could read and write, although his knowledge was mostly limited to Sengoku Jidai Japanese, not modern forms of the language. He was a quick study when it came to math, and he was interested in history, philosophy, and other languages, especially English, since he knew Kagome studied it at school. Hidekai suggested Inuyasha learn English so that he and Kagome could help each other.

By lunchtime, Hideaki had set up a curriculum for Inuyasha that included modern Japanese language and literature (he especially felt like Inuyasha would enjoy the work of Soseki Natsume), English language and literature, math, history, philosophy, and earth science. They would study every day from 9 until 2:30, and then Inuyasha would train for two additional hours before he picked up Kagome from school. It’s wasn’t terrible. Inuyasha would survive, and he actually liked Hideaki; unlike his lecher father, he wasn’t continually making snide remarks, although Inuyasha had yet to see if the spiritual young man had inherited his father’s cursed hand (and not the kazanaa, the other curse).

After lunch, Sayua turned up to help Inuyasha with his combat training. Hideaki offered to stick around in case he was needed, and Sayua agreed, much to Inuyasha’s consternation. He didn’t understand why he needed combat training; hadn’t he mastered the Tetsusaiga? Hadn’t he defeated the most heinous hanyou who ever lived?

Sayua took him out to the courtyard again; like an obedient puppy, Hideaki followed. Sayua motioned to Hideaki, who took Tetsusaiga from Inuyasha. “Without your sword,” Sayua said, “you are vulnerable. We will work on changing that.”

“Who the hell said I was vulnerable?” Inuyasha demanded. A flying kick from behind him struck him in the small of his back, almost bending him double and sending him to the ground.

“Me.” Inuyasha picked himself off the ground and turned to see his assailant. It was Asuka, grinning broadly, her hands on her hips. “Sorry, Uncle,” she chortled. “You’ve got a lot to learn about how to use your youki to protect you.”

“What the fuck?!” Inuyasha sputtered. “How the hell should I know there would be two of you?”

Asuka continued to smile widely. “I’m in medical school, Uncle. When I don’t have classes, there will be two of us.”

“Your defenses should be up at all times,” Sayua replied smoothly, unsheathing the sword at her hip. “Now, come at me, Uncle.”

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and flashed his claws. He eyed his opponent stealthily and stalked the perimeter of where she stood. He gauged her ability and scented the air; she was nervous, but determined. Her scent was tinged with anticipation. Inuyasha continued to circle her, closing his eyes, relying on his youki to guide him. At last he felt an opening, a vulnerability; her blind side was open. Without warning, Inuyasha sprung forward, reaching for her sword arm.

Like in her sparring match with Hideaki, she was also not expecting Inuyasha to attack her on that side; her eyes were adjusted to her left side, protecting the side without the sword. He grabbed her right wrist and bent it back, jostling the sword from her grip. What he was not expecting was that her left fist would swing around and meet his face. And a hell of a left hook it was, too. Inuyasha was airborne when he grabbed her right wrist, so the punch knocked him back. He let go of her wrist and flipped in the in air, landing nimbly on his feet.

“Not bad, Uncle,” said Sayua. “Were you relying on your youki there to guide you?”

Inuyasha grunted. “A little,” he said, his chest heaving, refusing to concede.

Sayua smiled. “Good,” she replied. “We will start here. You will learn to rely on your youki more and more to find your opponents’ weaknesses. Eventually, we will bring the Tetsusaiga back. Once you’ve mastered using your youki in battle, your Tetsusaiga attacks will be virtually unstoppable.”

Inuyasha liked the sound of that.

* * *

Promptly at 5:00, Inuyasha was back in front of Kagome’s school, pacing, waiting anxiously for her to come out.

 _Goddammit,_ he thought angrily _, where in the seven hells is she? She’s late! If something has happened…_

Her scent suddenly filled his nose and he looked up. There she was, skipping down the steps, a wide smile on her face when she saw him. His heart thrilled at the sight of her.

“Inuyasha!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him and kissing him fully on the lips when she reached him. He blushed slightly at her exuberance. “How was your day?”

He set her on the ground and took her hand, smiling. “Not terrible. Hideaki is my tutor.”

Her eyes brightened. “Really?”

He grunted in affirmation. “We mostly set my curriculum. Japanese, English, math, history, earth science, and philosophy. Then I trained with my nieces in the afternoon.”

“And how did _that_ go?”

“Also not terrible,” he said amiably, taking her backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. “Sayua wants me to learn to use my youki in battle without the Tetsusaiga. I think it will be useful.”

Kagome grinned. “I made the archery club today.”

Inuyasha stopped and kissed her lightly. “As if there was a chance you wouldn’t.”

She kissed him back, her cheeks slightly pink. “Do you want ramen for dinner?”

“Only if you are dessert.” _Oh fuck, where did that come from?_

“Inuyasha!” Kagome squealed, hitting him in the arm. But she tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow and pulled herself closer to him.

The day hadn’t been bad, at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uwagutsu: indoor shoes that students wear during school hours. Japanese schools have a entryway with lockers, and students will stop there to remove their outdoor shoes, replacing them with their uwagutsu. Wearing indoor shoes helps keep the hallway and classroom floors clean.
> 
> Kyudo: the Japanese martial art of archery. The focus in kyudo is as much on the form and the process as it is on the distance one achieves when letting the arrow fly. During practices, Kagome and her teammates would work on their hassetsu ("the eight stages of shooting") as well as their distance. Competitions for the sake of this story will focus on both technique and distance.
> 
> 8000 yen: about $75 USD.
> 
> Japanese names: Japanese names use the surname first, then the first name. That's why Kagome introduces herself to Suzuki-sensei as "Higurashi Kagome," and why Hideaki thinks that Inuyasha would enjoy the works of "Soseki Natsume" (a very, very famous late 19th/early 20th century Japanese author). 
> 
> A quick note about honorifics: You will notice that many of the characters refer to each other by honorifics. We studied honorifics extensively in Japanese classes, and I pretty much always use an honorific to converse with my Japanese friends. Rin, as the Lady of the West, uses honorifics most often. She calls Inuyasha "Inuyasha-otouto-sama" to signify both his position as Sesshomaru's younger brother ("otouto") and his noble blood ("sama"). Hideaki also uses "sama" with Inuyasha to indicate his noble blood. Kagome uses "sensei" when referring to Suzuki as befits Suzuki's position as a teacher at the high school and Kagome's coach. "Kun" is a typical honorific that students will use to refer to each other, and that teachers will use to refer to students. Kagome's mom also uses "Kun" to refer to Inuyasha as a term of endearment.
> 
> I had Inuyasha's nieces refer to him as "Uncle" instead of "Oji" because "Ojii" means grandfather, and with Jii-chan having that name, I didn't want to lead to confusion. 
> 
> I'll try to define the honorifics as we go through the chapters, but if I miss any that you're unfamiliar with, let me know and I'll revise the end notes to include them as needed :)
> 
> Apologies for the long note this time. Thanks, as always, for reading :)


	5. How Much We Need Each Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha realizes how much he needs Kagome. Kagome feels the aftereffects of being trapped in the Shikon no Tama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters from the manga/anime. Sayua, Asuka,and Hideaki are mine :)
> 
> Thank you for continuing to read! This is a short, but (I think) very sweet chapter. When I first conceived of this story, this chapter was one of the first I wrote. The title was inspired by one of my favorite television shows. Can you guess what it is?

Dinner in the Higurashi household on the first day of school for Inuyasha and Kagome was a silent one. Mrs. Higurashi had made katsudon, which Inuyasha had never had before, but greatly enjoyed. Kagome talked a little about Suzuki-sensei and the kyudo club, but was constantly in danger of falling asleep in her bowl. Inuyasha had to keep pinching her so she would stay awake. Her aura, normally a bright pink, was a faded, dusky rose. He had to admit—a full day of studying was tiring for him, too. It wasn’t killing youkai-exhausting, but he wasn’t used to the mental strain. He groaned inwardly, thinking about the days to come.

Inuyasha and Souta cleared the table and washed up the dishes while Kagome bathed. It was Kagome’s night to help clean up after dinner, but after her droopiness at the table, Mrs. Higurashi shooed her to the bathtub and enlisted Inuyasha to take over. He was more than happy to do so; anything to relieve Kagome’s aura.

Upstairs, Kagome sank greedily into the tub, letting the heat of the water soothe her tired body. She couldn’t even wash herself. Exhausted didn’t begin to describe how she felt. The classes, the other students, the kyudo club…she’d been right to wonder how she was going to get through these first few days. Her eyelids felt so heavy. If she could just close them…

“Oi, wench,” said a sharp voice beside her, jolting her awake, “don’t you fall asleep in there. Didn’t your mama warn you about drowning in a tub?”

“Inuyasha,” she murmured. “So tired.”

His face softened. “Let’s get you out of there.” He held up a towel so she could cover herself as she stood, keeping his eyes averted and trying not to blush.

“I’m okay,” she said at last. He turned back and offered his hand to help her out of the tub.

“I brought you some pajamas,” he mumbled, gesturing to the sink.

She smiled, despite her exhaustion. “Thanks. You’re sweet.” She turned to the sink and took her pajamas. “Now, turn around and let me get dressed.” He obliged, grinning to himself as he heard her drop the towel and slip into what he brought her. “Let’s go to bed,” she said, leading the way out of the bathroom. “I could sleep for a week.”

* * *

“Where—where does he think _he’s_ going?” Jii-chan screeched, hooking a gnarled finger at Inuyasha as he followed Kagome into her bedroom.

“I’m tired, Jii-chan,” answered Kagome testily, “and Inuyasha is as well. We are going to bed.”

“I won’t allow it,” said Jii-chan, crossing his arms over his chest. “You are engaged. You cannot stay in a room together until you are married.”

Kagome and Inuyasha looked at each other, horrified. They hadn’t spent a night apart in over a year. Kagome felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest.

“Jii-chan, Inuyasha watches over me at night,” Kagome insisted. “I need him by my side.”

“Over my dead body,” her grandfather retorted. “He can sleep in the guest room.”

“Mama!” called Kagome, tears now falling freely and her breath coming in ragged gasps.

Mrs. Higurashi came into the hallway. “What’s wrong?”  
  
“Jii-chan says that Inuyasha and I have to sleep apart,” Kagome sobbed. “I can’t sleep without him.” For some reason, Kagome was becoming hysterical. She couldn’t get a hold on her emotions; the tears would not stop; she felt like she would _die_ without Inuyasha close to her at night.

“They are engaged, Daughter,” said Jii-chan. “They cannot sleep in the same room. I was willing to tolerate it before, but now it defies all decorum. I can no longer permit it in my home.”

“Maybe Jii-chan is right, Kagome,” said Mrs. Higurashi, becoming alarmed as her daughter’s sobs grew louder. She saw Inuyasha’s face becoming pale with worry for his intended.

“Mama, I _need_ him,” moaned Kagome, now burying her face in Inuyasha's t-shirt. Inuyasha awkwardly put his arms around her and held her close, unsure of how to react. The demon in him wanted to kill anyone who stood in the way of his being with Kagome; the human wanted to tenderly wipe away her tears and shut out the world.

“Let’s just see how you do tonight, dear,” said Mrs. Higurashi, “and tomorrow we will reassess.”

Kagome broke free from Inuyasha. “Fine,” she said dully. “I’ll see you in the morning,” she said to Inuyasha. She opened the door to her room, went in, and slammed it shut with terrifying force.

Mrs. Higurashi and Jii-chan turned to Inuyasha, shocked. Jii-chan’s mouth hung open. “See you in the morning,” Inuyasha mumbled as well, and made his way to the guest room.

* * *

Inuyasha was finding it hard to sleep without Kagome close by. He lay on the futon in the guest room, arms folded behind his head, staring at the ceiling. His ears twitched in the direction of Kagome’s room, where her breathing was still ragged and uneven. She had cried herself to sleep. While he was distressed at her pain, part of him was glad she was expressing it so freely, so openly. It showed that she loved him, that she was connected to him, and that she felt as lost without him as he felt without her.

Suddenly, Inuyasha sat straight up on the bed. Kagome’s breathing had hitched. He burst through the door and flew down the hall to her room as she began to scream, over and over, his name.

“ _INUYASHA! INUYASHA! INUYASHA! DON’T LEAVE ME!”_

Doors opened as the rest of the family stumbled out into the hallway. Mrs. Higurashi ran to her daughter’s room, only to find Inuyasha was already there, cradling her in his arms, cooing ( _cooing?_ ) softly to her daughter.

“I’m here, Kagome,” he was saying into her hair. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

She snuggled closer into him and he tightened his grip around her.

Mrs. Higurashi took a step into the room. “Kagome, dear—” she gasped as Inuyasha whipped his head up and growled at her, his eyes tinged red.

“Stay back, Mama!” Souta said, pulling his mother from the room. “Can’t you see he’s protective of her right now? No one is getting close to Sis when she’s like this. Inuyasha’s got it.”

Mrs. Higurashi looked at her young son. He was still holding her arm tightly, eyes intently focused on Inuyasha; fearful for Kagome, but not afraid of Inuyasha. She followed his gaze to the hanyou and her daughter. Jii-chan stood beside them silently, watching the scene unfold before the family.

Kagome was starting to awaken. “Where—where am I?” she asked, sitting straight up. When Inuyasha pulled her back to him, she looked up into his face. “Inuyasha,” she breathed, “you’re here.”

“Keh. Where else would I be, wench?” he said, still in the same soft tone.

She shuddered against his chest. “I was in the Shikon no Tama,” she said with a deep breath. “I was alone. The jewel was mocking me, telling me you wouldn’t come for me, that I had to wish for you to come and everything would be all right. I refused to make the wish, and I was…all alone. In the dark. Without you.”

“Kagome, Kagome,” he soothed, gently stroking her hair. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” He looked up at Mrs. Higurashi and Jii-chan. “Not now. Not ever.”

Every night after that, Inuyasha slept in Kagome’s room. At first he would sit at the side of her bed, Tetsusaiga resting across his lap. However, since the night they had slept apart, the nightmares were a regular occurrence; at least three or four times a week Inuyasha found himself crawling into bed alongside Kagome and pulling her to his chest. She would reach up and tangle her hands in his silver hair, breathe in his scent, and eventually, her breath would become regular again and she would fall back into an easy rest.

Inuyasha found himself becoming increasingly attached to Kagome. When he left her at school, he felt as though a piece of his heart was going with her; when he picked her up after kyudo, his heart became whole. He wondered if she felt the same. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Katsudon: a VERY tasty, classic dish. Fried pork cutlet over rice, with an egg, vegetables, and condiments. Its name derives from "tonkatsu" (fried pork cutlet) and "donburi" (rice bowl with egg, meat, and veggies). 
> 
> Also, I know that Mrs. H. is technically Jii-chan's daughter-in-law, but they've lived together for so many years that "Daughter" seems to be the more proper title to use.
> 
> Thanks again for reading! Thoughts are always welcome. I have enough written to post chapters for several weeks, so I'll be continuing to post regularly (1-2 chapters every day or every other day) for the foreseeable future.


	6. Untapped Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome begins her miko training and learns she's WAY more powerful than anyone anticipated. Inuyasha begins his duties as Sesshomaru's heir. Inuyasha makes several important decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the anime/manga characters. Everyone else belongs to me :)
> 
> Hello everyone! Welcome to Chapter 6. Here's where the action really starts to take off; I'm excited for all of you to read. 
> 
> There is a mini-lime in this chapter, so if you aren't interested in reading that, please skip from about three paragraphs into the last section (about where Kagome wakes up), to the last few paragraphs, where they are asleep again. I hope that's specific enough! 
> 
> Please enjoy!

“Today, Kagome, let’s work on creating your barrier,” said Hideaki, taking her hand and drawing her out into the courtyard.

It was their first miko training session. It had been a busy week for Kagome; she’d had archery practice every day after school, preparing for their first meet the following Saturday. Homework was piling up, and her teachers were insistent on knowing where she planned to apply to college, even though exams were still months away. Inuyasha had starting carrying both her and her backpack home; when he got to school to pick her up, she was about dead on her feet. Then it was time for dinner and homework for them both, and they basically passed out with barely a goodnight kiss. _This schedule is hardly beneficial for romance_ , she thought blandly.

She was pretty sure that Inuyasha was also feeling frustrated. She often saw him watching her longingly at dinner, and when she nudged his foot with hers, he would break out into as much of a smile as he dared at the table. She liked their study sessions; both reading their books, Inuyasha’s head often in her lap, Kagome absently rubbing an ear with one hand, taking notes with the other. He liked to nuzzle her stomach as she rubbed his ears, but knew he had to study carefully. Hideaki was a patient tutor, but also expected all homework to be completed.

 _Honestly_ , Kagome thought to herself, _if that’s all the contact we're going to have, it’s good that he’s off with Sesshomaru doing some tour of the kingdom_. She needed some space to clear her head; all she thought about when they were together was ripping his clothes off and doing all sorts of dirty and daring things to his incredible body. In fact, she thought about that when they weren’t together, too. It wasn’t conducive to studying; no wonder she was still doing so poorly in math, despite her best efforts. Working on a protective barrier seemed like the perfect way to occupy her mind.

“What are we doing out here?” Kagome asked Hideaki.

He shrugged. “It’s a decent day, so I thought we’d take advantage of it,” he replied easily. “Let’s sit over by the sakura trees.”

Kagome still couldn’t believe the courtyard was big enough to house several sakura trees, but had to admit it was peaceful sitting beneath them, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers that were just beginning to bud. She sat cross-legged under one of the trees, and let Hideaki take her hands and rest them on her knees.

“How do you feel about meditation, Kagome?” he asked.

Kagome rolled her eyes. “I’m _awful_ at it,” she lamented. “My mind is not made for sitting quietly.”

Hideaki smiled. “That’s something we will work on,” he said kindly. “Now, what do you know about the third eye?”

“Not much,” Kagome admitted. “It’s Buddhist theory, right?”

Hideaki nodded. “Correct,” he said. “It’s right here,” he added, leaning forward and touching Kagome gently on her forehead between her eyes. “In Buddhism, opening the third eye can result in heightened awareness; some even say that it's linked to astral projection and development of psychic abilities. I’m going to keep my finger here for a few minutes,” he explained, “while you call as much of your power as possible to that spot. Just relax,” he added again, seeing her distressed face. “If it helps, imagine a peaceful place, or a peaceful moment. Something to help relax you. Maybe,” he added playfully, “a certain _someone_ to help relax you.”

Kagome snorted. He sounded like his father. But she did as he suggested. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and imagined all her power gathering at the spot Hideaki was touching on her forehead. She could feel it pooling in her third eye as she slowly opened it, drawing from her limbs and her core. She thought of Inuyasha, and protecting him, just as he had always protected her. The thought relaxed her more, and allowed more of her power to flow forth.

“Good,” she heard Hideaki say, as though he were far away and not next to her, touching her forehead. “Now, I want you to take your power, and shape it in your third eye as a bubble, and then take that bubble and slowly push it outside you, around you, so you are encased in the bubble. I’m going to gradually end our connection so you can do this,” he added.

Kagome nodded, and slowly she imagined herself, in her third eye, taking her power and shaping it into a circle—a bubble. Then, using her hands, she pulled the bubble larger and larger, until it began to surround her. Once it was too large to pull, she stepped inside the bubble and gently pushed so that it engulfed her completely. She was unaware of Hideaki breaking contact and stepping back in awe as her barrier took form around her, a beautiful shade of brilliant magenta.

When it was fully around her, Kagome opened her eyes. She could see the rosy barrier completely surrounding her. Concentrating lightly, she held the bubble where it was. “How is that?” she asked.

Hideaki nodded. “You did well, Kagome,” he replied. “Let’s see how well you can keep that hold on it.” He closed his eyes briefly and picked up his staff— _his father’s staff,_ Kagome quickly realized—and ran at her, swinging the staff as though to strike her, the charms on the end jingling. The staff struck her barrier and bounced off, sparking slightly. He smiled.

“Good,” he murmured, “good.” The door to the courtyard opened, and his smile grew wide. “Let’s see how you manage against a serious opponent,” he said jovially.

Kagome followed his gaze to see Sayua rushing at her, sword in hand. She closed her eyes and imagined holding the bubble steady with her hands. She felt Sayua strike the barrier, then felt a jolt of electricity and heard a scream. She opened her eyes; Sayua had been thrown across the courtyard, almost to the door. Kagome gasped, breaking the barrier as she rushed to Sayua’s side. Sayua lay unmoving. “I’m so sorry,” she said over and over, looking up at Hideaki, worry in her eyes.

Hideaki knelt beside his mate, checking her over. “I think she’s just knocked out,” he said to Kagome. “But…look at her ears and her hair.”

With horror, Kagome realized that Sayua’s hair had changed from silver to black, and then she looked at the top of Sayua’s head, where her ears _should_ have been. Instead, they had slid down to the sides of her head…and they were _human_.

“Oh, shit,” Kagome said hysterically, “I _purified_ her! Oh, shit, shit, shit,” she continued, ranting in a very un-Kagome-like string of curses. “Shit! Sesshomaru’s going to _kill_ me!”

Sayua groaned and opened her eyes; they were no longer golden, but instead were violet, like Inuyasha’s on his night of the new moon. “Mate,” she weakly as she tried to sit up, “what the _fucking hell_ just happened?”

Hideaki slipped an arm around his mate’s shoulders and helped her to sit up. She leaned back against him; Kagome clutched one of Sayua’s hands in her own. “Oh gods, Sayua, I’m so sorry…” she said desperately.

“Sorry?” Sayua said blankly. “Sorry why?”

“Sayua,” said Hideaki gently, “do you feel any different?”

Sayua slowly shook her head, as if trying to get her bearings. “I…my…youki is…” she paused, sorting through the emotions she was experiencing. “My youki feels…distant? Like it’s my human night?” She reached up to feel her ears and gasped when she couldn’t feel them. “Hideaki,” she said, looking up at her mate, “where are my ears?” He couldn’t answer her; her hands moved down to the sides of her head. “Oh, shit!” she exclaimed, much like Kagome had moments earlier. “I’m purified!”

“You can feel your youki though, my dear?” asked Hideaki worriedly.

She nodded, much to Kagome’s relief. “I can. It’s distant, but I think it’s getting stronger slowly?”

Hideaki let out a gush of air that he seemed to have been holding forever. “You’ll be okay, mate,” he said carefully. “Being a hanyou probably just saved your life. If you had been full demon, Kagome would have turned you to ash.” He turned to the stunned miko. “That’s one hell of a barrier you’ve got there, Kagome. And it’s only your first try.” He smiled grimly as Kagome shuddered, thinking of what she could have done to Sayua. “Just wait,” he added, his eyes glinting, “until we have time to refine it.”

* * *

Inuyasha was grumpy. It was the weekend, when Kagome didn’t have school and he didn’t have to study. He had been hoping that they would get to have a day to themselves, but _no_ , his baka brother had to insist on taking him on some fucking stupid “tour of the kingdom,” or whatever that meant, while Kagome had her miko training with Hideaki. This “tour” basically meant visiting some of the older youkai who had apparently been allies of his brother’s for hundreds of years, introducing Inuyasha as the potential heir, and gauging their responses. When they heard the heir was Sesshomaru’s half-brother who had mysteriously vanished with a strange miko 500 years before, they were immediately fascinated by him and by his story.

Unfortunately, Inuyasha had never been much of a people person, and wasn’t quite able to be the charming, back-from-the-dead brother Sesshomaru had probably hoped for. He’d always been a better fighter than a talker. But, thinking of Kagome, he tried his best. He told the story of how, after he, Sesshomaru, and Kagome had killed Naraku, Kagome had been sucked into the Meido, and how Inuyasha had followed her. He told of seeing Midoriko battling demons inside the Shikon no Tama, and how he had seen Naraku’s head, waiting for Kagome to give into the darkness so it could revive and battle her inside the jewel for eternity. He finally told of how he used Tetsusaiga to cut a hole in the fabric of time and space to find her, how she wished the jewel would disappear forever, and how they had ended up in 21st century Tokyo, in Kagome’s world. He tried to embellish as he could, describing the demons he fought in the jewel is great detail. Sure enough, the elder youkai hung on Inuyasha’s every word, astonished at the power he seemed to possess…for a hanyou. They asked lots of questions about how he had been able to enter the Meido, and how he had come to possess such a sword. Inuyasha hesitated to tell them too much, since he had fought Sesshomaru for the sword and cut off his brother’s left arm in the process, and since he had taken Meido Zangetsuha from Sesshomaru’s Tenseiga. He was careful not to cast the Lord of the West in a negative light, instead highlighting Sesshomaru’s bravery inside Naraku and how his Bakusaiga had made Naraku’s body unable to regenerate, ultimately setting the stage for his defeat.

Sesshomaru, for his part, had to admit that he was impressed with his brother. He hadn’t known what had happened in the three days between when Kagome and Inuyasha left the Sengoku Jidai and emerged from the well in 21st century Tokyo. Inuyasha showed determination and, well, _guts_ , in his quest to save the miko. And for her part, Sesshomaru was impressed with the miko as well, especially with her ability to hold onto the hope that Inuyasha would find her, and her ability to not give into the darkness of the jewel. He was also convinced that theirs was a good match, and would be a fruitful mating for the Inu no Taisho line, despite Kagome being fully human. The power the two of them held would surely make his enemies wary of threatening the throne. As he and Inuyasha rode back to the manor, he couldn’t help smiling slightly. Yes, this was working out well.

“So tell me again why you made me tell that fucking story over and over?” Inuyasha grumbled as they rode back to the manor, Jaken once again behind the wheel and surly at Inuyasha’s presence.

“Because, little brother,” said Sesshomaru simply, “those are old, gossipy youkai. They will tell everyone about you and the miko, and how you defied time and space to defeat the Shikon no Tama. They will embellish the story, and spread the word of your combined power far and wide. This bodes well for naming you heir. Those who might oppose will fear your wrath…or at least,” here he chuckled lightly, “the wrath of your miko, who resisted and then defeated the Shikon no Tama.”

Inuyasha had to hand it to his brother. _I guess this is why he’s the Lord of the West_ , he reasoned. _He knows how to play the game_. Inuyasha suddenly broke into a loud, raucous laugh.

“Something funny, little brother?” Sesshomaru asked coolly.

Inuyasha continued roaring with laughter, actually wiping away a tear. “You are fucking brilliant, Sesshomaru,” he said. “And if they fuck with me, or with you, after hearing that story, no one will be surprised when I fucking blow them away or send them to Hell.”

Sesshomaru examined his brother with mild interest as they drove through the massive manor gates. When they got out of the car, the door to the manor flew open and Rin raced down the steps.

“Anata! Inuyasha-otou-sama! I’m so glad you are here,” she said frantically, in her haste using her term of endearment for Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru immediately drew up to his full height and pulled Rin to him. “What is the matter, mate?”

Rin tried to catch her breath. “You aren’t going to believe what happened while you were gone,” she replied. “Hideaki taught Kagome how to create a barrier.”

“He did _what_?” Inuyasha exclaimed.

Rin nodded. “He taught her to create a barrier. He tested it, and the barrier resisted his attack. But Sayua attacked Kagome, and the barrier…it purified her.”

In a flash Sesshomaru and Rin were gone, inside, Inuyasha fast behind them. By this point Sayua had been moved to her room and was resting in bed, Hideaki and Kagome on either side of her, each holding a hand. When Sesshomaru and Rin entered, they rose, allowing her parents to take their places.

Sayua was pale, her human ears still on either side of her head, her hair more of a dirty gray than black or silver. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing easily.

“How is she?” Sesshomaru asked Rin.

“Better now that she’s resting,” Rin replied. “Her hair was totally black when it first happened, but it’s gradually changing back to silver. Her youki is restoring itself; it may just take awhile.”Sesshomaru nodded and gently caressed his eldest daughter’s forehead.

“Being a hanyou probably saved her life, My Lord,” said Hideaki. “The barrier was so strong. If she had been a full youkai, it would have purified her into ash.”

“ _What did you just say?!_ ” came a frantic yell as the door to Sayua and Hideaki’s room flew open. Asuka charged into the room, her youki flailing about wildly. Asuka rushed to her sister’s bedside and flung herself onto Sayua’s abdomen, sobbing. “How could this happen?” she cried, looking up at her father.

“I—we—Hideaki was training me,” Kagome said quietly. Everyone turned to look at her; it was the first time she had spoken since they moved Sayua to her room. “I made a barrier, and Hideaki tried to attack me first, then Sayua. It just repelled his staff, but it—” here she stopped and took a deep breath. “It flung Sayua across the courtyard. When Hideaki and I got to her, she had been purified.” Her voice was shuddering; she was trying very, very hard not to cry.

Kagome turned to Sesshomaru and Rin. “I am so, so sorry,” she said, bowing deeply. She turned to Hideaki. “I’m sorry,” she said. She turned to Asuka, who was still embracing her sister. “I’m sorry,” she said again, before turning and running from the room.

Inuyasha was at attention in a flash. “I’ll go after her,” he said to Sesshomaru, who merely nodded.

“Wait, Inuyasha-otou-sama,” said Rin suddenly. “Give her a few minutes.”

Inuyasha was incensed. “Give her a few minutes?” he repeated incredulously. “Do you know what she’s thinking right now?” he hissed. He starting pacing back and forth, one hand on Tetsusaiga, one hand running through his hair. His eyes were wild with worry. “She’s thinking that she already loves Sayua as her family, and look what she did to her. She’s thinking, _how can I guarantee that I won’t do this again to any of them_ —most of all, me?” He looked at his brother and the rest. “She’s thinking that she cannot be around any of us anymore, and that she cannot do this anymore.”

“Inuyasha…” began Hideaki.

“You don’t know her like I do,” Inuyasha interrupted. “You may have heard about her from your parents, but you don’t know her like I do. How big her heart is…how fully she loves…and how much she’s willing to give up to protect those that she does love.” He returns his gaze to Rin. “Sister, I am sorry. I must go to her.”

Rin…smiled? “Of course you must, Inuyasha-otou-sama.” He nodded his head at her and dashed from the room.

Asuka looked up at her mother, eyes wide, full of tears. “Will she really be okay?”

Rin sat beside her younger daughter, stroking her elder daughter’s hair gently as she slept. “She really will,” Rin replied. “Like Hideaki said, being a hanyou saved her life. Her youki will eventually return…it may just take a few days.”

“Her hair was totally black a few hours ago,” Hideaki added reassuringly, “and now it’s almost silver again.” He reached down and grasped his mate’s hand gently. “She will be fine.” He looked at Rin. “Inuyasha is right—it’s Kagome I’m really worried about. She has so much power, and doesn’t know how to use it.”

“You will help her, Son-in-Law,” said Sesshomaru firmly. “She must learn to harness this power, or Inuyasha is correct—her emotions will get the best of her and she will sacrifice all for us. And we know what happens if she does that.” Rin, Asuka, and Hideaki nodded. “We must ensure her training continues,” Sesshomaru added. “As quickly as possible. Son-in-Law, you will take the necessary precautions.”

“I will, my Lord,” said Hideaki, bowing.

“We cannot allow this to happen again,” Sesshomaru continued.

“Kagome was concerned that you would kill her,” Hideaki noted. “She let loose quite a string of obscenities.”

“Apparently Inuyasha is rubbing off on her,” said Rin, chuckling, continuing to stroke Sayua’s hair. Sesshomaru refused to crack a smile, though. The miko’s power was greater than he had thought, he mused, and this required a more delicate touch. He hoped his son-in-law was up to the task.

* * *

Inuyasha caught up with Kagome outside the manor. She was standing outside the front door, leaning against the wall, taking deep breaths hysterically. She closed her eyes and took a final, deep, wavering breath, then looked at Inuyasha.

“Sesshomaru wants to kill me,” she whispered.

Inuyasha snorted. “Not that he does, but if he did, so the fuck what?” He grew silent for a moment, then asked her, “You really made a barrier on your first try?” Kagome nodded, afraid to speak. “And you repelled Hideaki’s attack?” She nodded again. “And you really flung Sayua across the courtyard?” Now tears were forming in Kagome’s eyes as she nodded. “Well,” he said slowly, trying to sort out his words, “at least we know you’ll be safe in battle. Kikyo—” Kagome took a sharp breath at the sound of the dead priestess’ name “—Kikyo told me it took her years to create a barrier like that.” He looked dead on at Kagome. “It took you ten minutes.” He let the rest go unsaid.

Kagome shuddered, absorbing the full impact of his words. Inuyasha turned his back to her and crouched down. “Come on,” he said, “I’ll take you home.” She climbed on his back and immediately buried her face in his hair.

Inuyasha turned and took off running. He avoided the main roads, opting instead for wooded areas for as long as he could. He was pretty sure he could find the way back, even without the highways to guide him. He had to get Kagome home and away from Sesshomaru; she wasn’t necessarily wrong that the Lord of the West could be gunning for her, after what she did to his eldest daughter. Inuyasha knew he had to get Kagome to feel like she was safe, and like she was still wanted.

He arrived at the shrine just as night was falling. Going by back roads had meant a slightly longer trip, which was good; Kagome’s breathing had finally evened out and she had dozed off on his back. He intended to keep her asleep for as long as possible. Instead of going through the front door, Inuyasha leapt nimbly up to their window and slid it open. He entered the room, gently laid Kagome on the bed, still sleeping, and slipped out into the hallway.

Downstairs, Inuyasha found Mrs. Higurashi sitting at the kitchen table, drinking some tea. He listened around the house: Souta was in his room playing video games, and Jii-chan was in the living room watching television. Inuyasha took this as his chance to talk to his future mother-in-law.

“Oba-san,” he said, sitting down next to her.

“Mama, please,” said Mrs. Higurashi. “Would you like some tea, Inuyasha-kun?”

He nodded, and she poured some hot water out of the electric tea kettle into a mug. “Caffeine?” she asked. When he shook his head no, she reached into the cupboard, pulled out an orange herbal tea bag, and set it to steep in the mug. She placed it in front of him and returned to her seat, swirling her spoon thoughtfully in her own tea.

“Where’s Kagome?” Mrs. Higurashi asked.

“Upstairs,” answered Inuyasha readily. “She’s asleep.”

“Was it a rough day of training?” Mrs. Higurashi inquired.

Inuyasha paused. “You could say that,” he said finally. “She learned to make a barrier, and purified my niece.”

Mrs. Higurashi inhaled sharply. “She did _what_?”

He nodded. “She created a barrier, repelled Hideaki, Sesshomaru’s son-in-law, but when Sayua—that’s Sesshomaru’s older daughter and Hideaki’s mate—attacked, she was thrown and purified. She’s at the manor now recovering. I thought it best to bring Kagome home.”

Mrs. Higurashi looked horrified. “What does it mean to _purify_ a demon?”

“It means to repel their youki, or demonic energy,” Inuyasha explained. “If Sayua had been a full demon, she would have been purified to ashes.” Mrs. Higurashi gasped again. “But because she’s half-demon, Kagome couldn’t totally purify her. Instead, Sayua turned human. Her youki retreated. She’s resting while her youki heals.”

Mrs. Higurashi’s expression was still horrified. “Your brother is going to kill her.” She meant Kagome.

Inuyasha’s mouth was set firm. “He won’t. He knows he has to go through me to get her, and he’s not going to risk his kingdom to do it. But that doesn’t change what she did.” He looked at Mrs. Higurashi thoughtfully. “I need to show Kagome that she’s important to me, more than anyone else in this world. I need her to know that her power changes nothing between us, and that I’m not afraid of her. She’s never been afraid of me, but now she might be afraid that her touch could wipe out my youki. But I trust her,” he added passionately, “and I love her, and her powers can never change how I feel.”

Mrs. Higurashi looked at Inuyasha intently. “You want to show Kagome she’s important to you?” He nodded. “Then be there for her. Don’t be afraid of her. Show that you don’t have any fear.”

“I’ve already done that,” he replied, “but I want to do something more for her.”

“Have you bought her an engagement ring?” Mrs. Higurashi asked suddenly.

“What’s that?” asked Inuyasha.

“A ring,” replied Mrs. Higurashi, “that shows your devotion to her, and will show everyone your devotion to her. It’s a symbol of your love.”

“Like a mating mark?”

“Sort of.” Mrs. Higurashi tried not to blush. She didn’t know exactly what would happen during Inuyasha and Kagome’s youkai mating, but she had a pretty good idea. “This will be visible to everyone—humans and demons.”

Inuyasha considered her suggestion. “Okay,” he said. “How do I get her this engagement ring?”

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. “You have to buy one. Do you have any money, Inuyasha?”

“I have a credit card,” Inuyasha replied, “and I am helping my brother out with his duties in the kingdom, besides studying and training. I am sure he wouldn’t mind if I bought something for Kagome…” he stopped, thinking about what had happened that day. “But maybe we could find something that isn’t _too_ expensive?”

“I have just the thing,” she answered, “hold on.” Mrs. Higurashi got up and left the kitchen. Inuyasha heard her go into her bedroom and rifle around in a drawer. She returned a few minutes later, holding a small box. She gave it to him and he opened it. Inside was a beautiful tear-shaped diamond on a gold band.

“Kagome’s father proposed to me with this ring,” she said wistfully. “I’ve always hoped that she would get to wear it, too. But I think,” she added, “that you should take this ring and make it into something Kagome would love. Tomorrow you and I will go to a jeweler, and I’ll help you pick out a new setting for the ring. Then you get the best of both worlds: Kagome’s past in the diamond, and your future in the setting. And you’ll save money because you won’t have to pay for a new diamond. What do you think?”

Inuyasha jumped up and crossed to where Mrs. Higurashi was sitting. He pulled her up and hugged her hard. “Thank you…Mama,” he said, trying out the word and deciding he liked it. Mrs. Higurashi beamed.

“What’s going on over here?” said a sleepy voice from the kitchen doorframe. Inuyasha and Mrs. Higurashi looked up to see a wobbly Kagome hovering in the doorway. Mrs. Higurashi slipped the ringbox in her pocket. Inuyasha crossed the room in one stride and picked up Kagome, gently cradling her in his arms. He brought her to the kitchen table and sat down with her in his lap, still holding her close.

“Are you hungry, dear?” asked Mrs. Higurashi.

“I am, a little,” Kagome confessed.

“I’ll make you some udon,” her mother replied, busying herself around the kitchen. “Inuyasha, would you like some ramen?”

“Are my ears cute?” Inuyasha answered, grinning. Mrs. Higurashi laughed and laughed as she put two pots on the stove.

Inuyasha laughed too, then turned his attention to Kagome, who was still curled against his chest. “How are you feeling?” he asked her.

“I feel like shit,” she responded sullenly, still using very un-Kagome-like language. “I could have killed Sayua, and then Sesshomaru would have delighted in killing me.”

Inuyasha sighed, trying hard not to sound impatient. “Sayua will be fine in a day or so. You can’t purify a hanyou into ash—you can only bury their youki and turn them human for a few days. Trust me on this,” he said when she opened her mouth to protest. “And Sesshomaru has too much at stake to kill you. He won’t want to face my wrath, especially since he’s gone to such lengths to talk me up as a great warrior to his subjects. It’ll be fine,” he added, holding her closer.

A scent in the air made Inuyasha jump to his feet and set Kagome down in a chair. “I’ll be back,” he said to Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome, who both looked at him, shocked. He strode quickly to the door and flung it open. Sesshomaru charged past Inuyasha into the kitchen, where Kagome tried very hard not to cower under the table.

“You. Miko,” he said.

“Yes?” Kagome answered, glad her voice sounded normal and not like a horrified squeak.

He took a breath. “Tomorrow you and my brother will come to the manor to continue your training. This Sesshomaru will not take no for an answer,” he said when she opened her mouth to protest. “Please be assured that my son-in-law will take all necessary precautions to keep you from purifying other members of the family. We had no idea that you had such power in you,” he continued blandly, ignoring Kagome’s slack jaw and Inuyasha’s scowl, “and we must rethink your training with that in mind. Come tomorrow.” He turned and swiftly made to leave.

“Wait, please, Sesshomaru,” Kagome called after him, “I’m truly sorry.”

Sesshomaru paused. “This Sesshomaru does not need your apologies,” he said without turning around. “However, this Sesshomaru does need your promise that you will continue to train hard and fight alongside and for your family.”

Kagome stood and pulled Inuyasha to her side. “I promise, my Lord,” she said, bowing.

Sesshomaru nodded. “Until tomorrow, miko.” And he was gone.

* * *

Kagome was having a hard time settling into a deep sleep. Inuyasha could hear her breathing; it was running short and ragged. Even with Sesshomaru’s sort-of guarantee that he would probably not kill her, and Inuyasha’s promise that hanyous couldn’t be totally purified, Kagome was still shaken and quiet the rest of the evening. After eating her udon, she said she wanted to go to bed and left the kitchen. Inuyasha cleaned up the dishes for Mrs. Higurashi, and then followed Kagome up to their room. She was already under the covers, eyes squeezed shut. Inuyasha sighed, grabbed a pair of sweats, and went to the bathroom to wash up. When he returned, her eyes were still shut, but not quite as squeezed as before. She was finally asleep.

Inuyasha was also having a hard time settling into sleep. He sat on the floor, beside her bed, Tetsusaiga close by. He hadn’t felt like wearing his haori, kosode, and hakama that night, like he normally did; he felt drained and wearied by the day’s events. Sesshomaru clearly training him to be the heir to the West. Kagome purifying Sayua. The tears and hysteria on all sides. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes. What the fuck was wrong with the people in his family?

Suddenly, he smelled salt and fear coming from Kagome. She was having a nightmare. He leapt up and climbed onto her bed. She was tangled in the sheets, sweating, murmuring his name over and over. Inuyasha quickly worked her out of the sheets and crawled in bed beside her, whispering her name and running his hands through her hair lovingly. Her eyes flew open.

“Inuyasha!”

“I’m here,” he said gently. “I’m always here.”

“You are,” she murmured sleepily. She ran her hands up and down his chest, his shoulders, his arms, his stomach, feeling the taut muscles stretched tighter with concern for her. “Inuyasha?” she said, her eyes heavy-lidded.

“Yeah?”

“I need to…to feel you,” she said, still sleepy.

“What?”

“Can you…can you touch me?” she asked; he sensed her arousal spiking slightly.

“Can I…touch you?”

She hummed an affirmative. “I need…to feel you,” she said again, her voice slurred with drowsiness. “Are you real? Are you staying?” She paused. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I need you.”

His heart almost broke at the plaintiveness of her request. He suddenly understood. Reaching for her tank top, he slid it over her head, leaving her naked breasts shining in the moonlight. She slipped her shorts off; she was nude underneath. Inuyasha sucked in his breath. She was beautiful. Her skin gleamed pinky-white against the moon; her dark hair tumbled about her. Her long, slender fingers reached for his sweats and tugged them down; he yanked them off. Naked together, he drew her into him tightly, allowing her to feel all of him, to feel safe with him, to know that he wasn’t afraid of her, and she shouldn’t be afraid she would hurt him. He knew she could never do that.

Panting slightly, she lifted her face and pressed her lips against his. He held her even more tightly and kissed her back, trying to relay all of his love for her. His words weren’t working; maybe he needed to use his lips in a different way.

Inuyasha buried his face in her hair, inhaling her scent. Gods, she smelled delectable. He kissed her neck, her shoulders, the swell of her breasts. She moaned and pulled his face into her chest. Tentatively, he kissed her breasts; first one, then the other. He brought up his hands to feel them: they were soft and fleshy.

“Is this okay?” he whispered.

“Yes, please,” she whispered back; he could tell she was still on the verge of tears. “I need to feel you against me, Inuyasha. _Please_.”

He responded by pushing her breasts together and burying his face in the swell between them. He slowly kissed one nipple, while working the other with his claws, delicately turning it over and over. His tongue licked the other one appreciatively, feeling it grow hard in his mouth. Kagome moaned softly. He then switched breasts, working the other nipple with his tongue while he continued to play with the first with his hand. She grabbed fistfuls of his hair and writhed underneath him, then pulled him back up for a deep, passionate kiss that was full of need and longing. She pushed through his lips with her tongue and ran it along his teeth, stopping to lightly massage his fangs. The scent of her arousal was almost too much for him, but underneath he detected something else. Was it sadness?

He tried to push that other scent down, pulling her body close to his so he could feel all of it at once: her tongue in his mouth, her hands running through his hair and down his back, her breasts pressed up against his chest, the soft swell of her stomach against his, her hips swiveling around his, her hot core up against his swelling manhood, her legs wrapping around his. “Kagome,” he moaned.

“Please, Inuyasha,” she murmured, “ _please_.”

“Please what?” he murmured back into her mouth.

“Please make me yours,” she said huskily. “Tonight. I want you.”

And there it was again: the sadness, coming through her arousal. Inuyasha pulled back. Not like this.

“Kagome,” he said breathlessly, pulling her face even with his and stroking her cheek gently, “I want you more than you’ll ever know. But you are hurting from what happened today. I don’t want our first time to be because you’re feeling like you need to prove something to me, or to yourself. I want our first time to be because we truly want to be together. I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow and feel like you regret doing this, or that you did it for the wrong reasons.”

Kagome pulled away from him, growing silent. She tried to be angry with him—she really wanted him!—but in her heart, she knew he was right. She really just wanted to be close with him, not necessarily to have sex. She needed to know that he wasn’t afraid of her, but he was right—not like this. She drew him close to her again and kissed him.

“I can’t believe it, but you’re right,” she whispered. She rolled over to face away from Inuyasha, but he could still smelt the salt of her tears. “I’m a baka,” she said, sobbing silently.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “You’re not,” he answered her gently. “You have the biggest heart of anyone I know. You’re strong. You’re brave. And you have me…I love you,” he added. She shifted her neck so she was looking up at him, eyes shining with love and tears.

“What happened today would unsettle the best of us. Fuck, it unsettled Sesshomaru.” She made a sound that was half snort and half sob. “But you heard him. He doesn’t blame you. He wants you to keep training at the manor. We’ll get through this, Kagome.”

“But what about _this_?” she asked, gesturing to their state of undress.

He smiled. “Lock your door so no one can burst in on us in the morning,” he told her. “Because now that I’ve seen you naked, I’m not letting you get dressed tonight.”

“But—”

“—We’re not doing anything you don’t want to do,” he finished. “I’m happy just to hold you like this all night.” He kissed her forehead. “Whatever you need. No,” he continued firmly when she opened her mouth to protest. “I spent too long only thinking of myself, and what I needed, when it came to us. Please, please let me show you that I think of you, too. That I can…no, that I _want_ …to put your needs first.” He hugged her tightly. “I meant it when I said you were my everything, Kagome. Just please, don’t get dressed tonight.”

The little whine as he said that made Kagome laugh. “Okay,” she said, “okay.” She got up and went to the door; Inuyasha enjoyed watching her long hair tumble down her back, her shapely ass swaying as her legs moved unsteadily to the door. She turned the lock, then went back to bed, snuggling deep into Inuyasha’s chest. She ran her fingers over his muscled chest, and down his defined stomach. She had been foolish to demand sex from him when they both knew she wasn’t ready. But damn, if he didn’t light a fire deep in her, body and soul.

“Sleep, Kagome,” Inuyasha said softly, stroking her hair with one hand and capturing one of her hands in his other. “Remember, we have thousands of years ahead of us. Let’s make sure we get this right, because we’re going to be doing it _a lot_.” Kagome heard the hunger in his voice, and she giggled as she squeezed his hand and fell asleep. When he was sure that she was peacefully sleeping, he allowed himself to bury his face in her hair and doze off, breathing in her calming scent.

What Inuyasha and Kagome didn’t realize was that, as they slept, a tall figure hovered outside their bedroom window, long silver hair pulled back in a low ponytail. Sesshomaru had wanted to check on his brother and the miko one last time; he’d had a strange sense that something had changed, something that he couldn’t quite place. He’d left Rin, Asuka, and Hideaki at Sayua’s side and come straight to the shrine. What he saw through the bedroom window was truly shocking.

Kagome and Inuyasha slept, apparently nude (or mostly nude; Sesshomaru couldn’t tell with the blankets) and curled up into each other. Inuyasha’s back was to the window, and Sesshomaru could see his arms encircling the miko, whose hands were tangled in his brother’s hair. But what surprised him the most was the soft pink glow surrounding them both. It was a barrier…and it was protecting both the miko _and_ his brother.

A barrier that had injured his daughter was protecting his brother. An interesting development, to say the least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Third Eye: in Buddhist philosophy, the third eye is located in the lower center of the forehead, just above the eyebrows. When it's opened, it's considered to bring the path to enlightenment, usually through meditation. As a Buddhist monk, Hideaki would be familiar with this concept, and see it as a way to help Kagome meditate and learn to harness her power.
> 
> Oba-san: While "oba" technically means "aunt," "oba" can also be used to indicate an older woman. Here Inuyasha uses it with the honorific "san," which is a polite way to reference Mrs. Higurashi, who is Kagome's mother and his elder. In later chapters, other characters will call Mrs. H. "oba-sama," to indicate her position as Kagome's mother.
> 
> Thanks again, so much, for reading! Chapter 7 will be up in the next few days, depending on my schedule :)


	7. Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha has a little fun at Sesshomaru's expense. Kagome's ring is ordered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime/manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hi everyone! This is a baby chapter -- the next chapter will be much longer (and I'll post it today), but I was having trouble deciding where to break things up. If I kept it all as one chapter, this would have been SO long, lol! 
> 
> Even though it's short, please enjoy!

“Let’s continue working on your barrier today, Kagome,” Hideaki said. “We’re not going to challenge the barrier; we already know its impact on youki. Instead, I want to work with you on two things. First, let’s see how long you’re able to keep the barrier, and second, let’s see how far you can extend it.”

Inuyasha sat across the courtyard, sharpening Tetsusaiga, watching Hideaki and Kagome. She looked up at him, and he gave her a smirk. She flashed a thumb’s up back at him and turned to Hideaki, who was resting his finger against Kagome’s forehead as she closed her eyes. Inuyasha could tell she was beginning to focus. He watched, fascinated, as the pink barrier started to glow around her. Hideaki removed his finger, and the barrier pulsed around Kagome, pink and almost bubbly. Then, under Hideaki’s guidance, Inuyasha watched as Kagome expanded the barrier around her, then made it smaller, and bigger again. Finally, the barrier subsided, and Kagome opened her eyes.

“Well done, Kagome,” said Hideaki, and Kagome blushed under his praise. Inuyasha cracked his claws unconsciously. He knew Hideaki was mated to his niece, but he looked so much like his lecher father…old habits died hard.

“Inuyasha,” called Hideaki, and Inuyasha looked up to see the monk signaling to him.

Inuyasha crossed the courtyard. “What’s up?" he asked, a slight growl in his throat.

Hideaki paused. He was under strict orders from Sesshomaru to test something, but he was nervous to actually try it. However, as he valued his life, he couldn’t defy his father-in-law. “Inuyasha,” he said hesitantly, “I’d like to try something. Can you stand next to Kagome?”

Inuyasha obediently stood next to Kagome and took her hand. “Sure,” he replied.

Hideaki took a deep breath. “Okay.” He turned to Kagome. “Make your barrier. Try to include Inuyasha in it.”

Kagome froze. “But, if I do that…I’ll purify him!”

“Fucking monk,” growled Inuyasha, flexing his claws, “just what in the hell are you thinking?”

“Son-in-Law is acting under my orders,” said a bored voice from behind them. Inuyasha and Kagome turned to see Sesshomaru striding across the courtyard towards them, his long silver hair flowing behind him regally. “This Sesshomaru believes that you will be safe, little brother, inside the miko’s barrier, but we need to test this first.” He thought about what he had seen the night before. It could be that the miko’s unconscious desire to protect his brother manifested in her sleep, and it might not work while she was awake. But he had to try it. At worst, his brother would turn human for a few days, and at best, they had an important new weapon.

“No fucking way,” shouted Inuyasha, “you’re not going to put Kagome through this!” In his anger, he dropped Kagome's hand and made to take a fighting stance.

“But Inuyasha—” began Hideaki.

“—No. Fucking. Way,” repeated Inuyasha, purple streaks starting to jag across his cheeks and red beginning to tint his eyes. He would fight both these fuckers in order to protect his intended. And asking her to do this? After what she had gone through yesterday and last night?

“Inuyasha,” said a quiet voice. He looked down. Kagome had grabbed his hand and was looking up at him.

“Kagome.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Do I…” Inuyasha shook his head, as if trying to clear cobwebs. “Of course I fucking trust you. It’s them I don’t trust.” But even as he said that, his cheeks and his eyes both faded to normal.

She looked at Sesshomaru. “Why do you think I can do this?”

Sesshomaru paused. “This Sesshomaru checked on you and my brother last night after…what happened in the afternoon.” He refused to state what it was. “You were sleeping—" Inuyasha and Kagome both turned bright red, knowing their state of undress “—and there was a pink glow around you both.” They gasped. “So, reason would state that if you can do it while asleep, you can do it while awake.” His face was impassive.

“That’s too much fucking pressure for her!” Inuyasha yelled. “Just because she can do it unconsciously doesn’t mean she can do it while awake!”

Kagome was thoughtful. If she was able to create the barrier last night, then it was in response to her desire to keep Inuyasha safe. She had been so afraid of purifying him, yet if Sesshomaru was to be believed (and he had no reason to lie), then she protected him by surrounding him with a barrier! But could she do it while awake?

She smiled. “I’ll do it." When Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest, she put a finger to his lips. He closed them and kissed the tip of her finger, relaxing under her touch.

"Now you, try to relax,” she said to Inuyasha, and closed her eyes, removing her finger from his lips. 

Inuyasha took a breath. What the fuck was she going to do?

Kagome went back into herself, drawing her energy to her third eye. She felt it bubble up around her, and then taking her hands, she slowly expanded her barrier to cover herself. In her third eye, she saw Inuyasha. “Protect Inuyasha,” she whispered. “Protect him, please.” She pushed her power out, encompassing Inuyasha, too. Still holding his hand, she felt her power shoot down her arm and out her hand, into him. He gasped at the warmth that enclosed him from her aura. Kagome then felt her barrier move to cover Inuyasha, too. When she opened her eyes, he was next to her, gripping her hand tightly now, eyes wide.

“Are you okay?” she whispered.

He reached forward and caressed her cheek. “I’m perfect. You’re fucking amazing.” He looked out at Sesshomaru. “Come and get me, you bastard,” he snickered.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome exclaimed. Inuyasha barked out a laugh. Sesshomaru scowled, raised a hand, and flexed his claws.

“This barrier will protect you both,” Hideaki said, ignoring the glaring looks exchanged between brothers. “I think it will come in handy.”

“Can I protect others too?” Kagome asked him.

Hideaki considered her question. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “Maybe in battle, or if you desired it. You purified Sayua because she was attacking you; that was your energy reacting to a threat. But you clearly don’t see Inuyasha as a threat, and maybe if you didn’t see others as a threat, you could extend it. For now, let’s work on developing this particular barrier. I’d also like to see if we can use a barrier to make you invisible.”

Kagome gasped and the barrier shattered around them. “Is that even possible?”

Hideaki shrugged. “Maybe. Who knows? My father couldn’t do that, and neither could Kaede oba-san.”

“Kikyo sure as hell couldn’t do that either,” added Inuyasha unhelpfully.

“But you are different, Kagome,” continued Hideaki, shooting a dark look at Inuyasha. “You are _you_ , and that’s worth everything.”

* * *

“How was training today?” Mrs. Higurashi asked as Inuyasha set the table and Kagome scooped rice out of the cooker into bowls.

“It was great,” Kagome replied. “I made a barrier that protected me _and_ Inuyasha.”

“You did _what?_ ” exclaimed Jii-chan, coming in from the living room and sitting at the table.

“I made a barrier,” repeated Kagome, “and I was able to include Inuyasha, too.” She grinned widely at him. “I didn’t purify him; I protected him, too.”

“Not that I need you protecting me, woman,” grumbled Inuyasha, slamming a glass onto the table. She glared at him, and he relented slightly. “But it _could_ come in useful.” He went to the refrigerator and got out the water filter, filling the glasses with water.

“Inuyasha?” said Mrs. Higurashi. “Could you come help me in the laundry room? There are some napkins in the dryer, and my back isn’t feeling up to getting them out. I’ll show you where they are.”

Inuyasha followed her into the laundry room, where Mrs. Higurashi closed the door. “Is it set?” he asked her quietly.

“I made all the arrangements,” she replied. “You made an excellent choice. It will be ready in about a week.”

Inuyasha thought back to that afternoon, when he and Mrs. Higurashi had gone out under the pretense of getting groceries. They did get groceries, but they also stopped at a jeweler to pick out a new setting for Kagome’s ring. Inuyasha was grateful for Mrs. Higurashi’s help, as all the settings looked the same to him. He finally selected a plain ring, white gold, with scrolling engraved on either side of the setting. It had a matching wedding band, and Inuyasha also picked out a similar band for himself. The scrolling to him seemed classic, like something that would have been created in the Sengoku Jidai. Mrs. Higurashi had declared it perfect, and he had to agree.

“When will you give it to her?” she asked.

“Next weekend she has a tournament, and then we have that stupid ceremony with my brother where he’s going to declare me his heir,” he replied. “I think that I’ll do it after the tournament, whether she does well or not. I want everyone to know she’s my intended when we go to the ceremony.” His voice dropped an octave. “That bastard Kouga—sorry, Mama, but he is—will be there, and I want to make sure he knows that Kagome’s off-limits.”

Mrs. Higurashi nodded. “I’ll let you know when it comes in, but you should be the one to go pick it up. She is your fiancée,” she added with a wink.

Inuyasha smiled, and moved to take the napkins out of the laundry room. Mrs. Higurashi put a hand on his arm. “Just so you know,” she said, “I am fine with you sleeping in Kagome’s room, but please do try to keep the noise down.” He turned bright red and practically ran back to the kitchen, while Mrs. Higurashi laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note on the engagement: while engagement rings aren't necessarily traditionally Japanese, they are still quite common in Japan. The traditional event is the "yuino," or engagement ceremony/meeting between families. That's what Jii-chan was referencing previously, and we'll see it in a later chapter. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! I'll get that next chapter, which has lots of exciting things happening, posted sometime today.


	8. Love and Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome has her first kyudo competition, and then she and Inuyasha enjoy a "date" under the Goshinboku. Inuyasha has a question for his intended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters of the anime/manga. All others belong to me :)
> 
> Hello hello! Lots of goodies in this chapter! This chapter was challenging to write, but I learned a lot in the process.
> 
> And there is a lime in this chapter!

Kagome was nervous.

The air buzzed with a competitive edge. All around her, men and women were milling about, some dressed in street clothes, some having already changed into their traditional gi and hakama. She clutched her duffels containing her uniform and her equipment, looking for the women’s locker room so she could change. She’d left her family, Inuyasha, and Hideaki, Sayua, and Asuka at the door, insisting that they should find seats before the tournament started. But now that she was alone, she was unsure of where to go or what to do. This was the first time she’d ever competed in anything, and she didn’t quite know the procedure.

“Higurashi-kun!” called a familiar voice. Kagome looked up and saw Suzuki-sensei waving to her. Kagome hurried over to her.

“You’re late,” Suzuki-sensei said flatly. Her ponytail was sleek today, and her eyes gleamed black from behind her tortoise-shell glasses.

“I’m sorry,” Kagome replied breathlessly. “I wasn’t sure where to go.”

Suzuki-sensei gestured behind her, where a sign clearly read, “Women’s Locker Room.” Kagome hung her head. “Just make sure that you are dressed and with the team in the next ten minutes,” Suzuki-sensei ordered. “We will hopefully have time to review strategy before you compete.”

Kagome bowed. “Yes, sensei,” she answered. “I’m so sorry.” She turned and ran into the locker room.

Suzuki-sensei watched her go. Higurashi-kun was a bit of a flake, but she had what it took to be a kyudouka. If she could just get her to work on her meditative skills a bit more. While this was Higurashi-kun’s first tournament, Suzuki-sensei felt that she could do well, if she pulled herself together.

In the locker room, Kagome was doing just that. She quickly dressed in her gi and hakama, tied her obi, and pulled on her muneate. She pulled her hair back in a high ponytail and made sure it was sleek, then put her kake on her right hand and slipped on her tabi. Then she took out her bow, locked her locker, and went to the mirror.

“You got this, Higurashi,” Kagome said to her reflection. “You’re the miko who fucking killed Naraku and destroyed the Shikon no Tama. You can hit a target _and_ show perfect technique.”

“Higurashi!” called Suzuki-sensei. “Get moving!”

“Yes, sensei!” returned Kagome. She took one last look in the mirror, and hustled out of the locker room under Suzuki-sensei’s stern gaze, not realizing the coach had been there the entire time.

There were four competitions that day. First would be the team competitions; one focused on technique, and one focused on hitting the target and distance. Each team would compete, and the two highest scorers from each team would qualify for the individual competitions on technique and target/distance. For technique, each competitor would go through the eight steps of kyudo, also called hassetsu. Kagome knew that the judges would be looking for her to enter the dojo properly, and a clear articulation of each step, as opposed to how effectively she hit the mark. For target and distance, competitors would shoot two arrows per round over two rounds, for a total of four arrows. Points would be awarded for each maru (hitting the mato, or target). In the individual competition, competitors had two arrows to hit the mato; if they succeeded, the target would be moved back 5 meters. Kagome wasn’t worried about distance or hitting the mato; she was, however, worried about technique, which was, of course, first.

When it was her turn, Kagome lined up with competitors from four other teams, and performed the elaborate entrance ceremony. They entered the dojo, bowed to the judges, stepped to the back line of the dojo and kneeled to sit. Then they bowed to the mato, rose, took three steps toward the shooting line, and kneeled again. Then Kagome and her group performed the hassetsu, which she felt like she did reasonably well, even if she almost forgot to raise the bow above her head before drawing. This wasn’t exactly something she did with youkai breathing down her neck.

Following the technique part of the competition was the distance/mark. Here Kagome excelled in the team competition; she earned marus all the way to the furthest distance, which was about 70 meters. She knew she was a shoe-in for the individual competition, but she’d have to wait and see how she fared in the technique.

During the break, while they waited for the scores, Kagome found Inuyasha and the others in the stands. All of them were grinning, even Sayua and Asuka, who tended to be more critical of her fighting abilities.

“You did great, Kagome,” said Inuyasha, sweeping her into a huge hug.

“Yeah, sis!” added Souta. “You rocked the distance part!”

“Thanks,” answered Kagome, smiling too. “We’ll have to wait and see how I did in the technique. I doubt I made it to the individual there, but I wasn’t expecting to anyway.”

Just then the buzzer to restart the competition sounded. Inuyasha kissed the top of her head and gave her ass a little push. “Go see how you did, wench. You better run—your sensei looks pissed.”

Kagome turned to see Suzuki-sensei eyeing her, arms crossed. She blew Inuyasha and the others a kiss and took off across the auditorium.

“Are the scores up?” she asked Suzuki-sensei, trying to catch her breath.

Suzuki-sensei huffed at her. “You would _know_ ,” she hissed, “if you were paying attention and not running off to your family every two minutes.”

Kagome dropped her head. “Yes, sensei,” she responded. _And if I was actually trying to purify demons, and not just going through the motions_ , she thought.

“You made the distance individual finals, Higurashi,” Suzuki-sensei said. “Thanks to you, we placed number one overall. Now let’s go find Yamazaki-kun. She’s the other top contender in distance from our team.”

While the kyudo team hadn’t broken the top three in technique, Kagome knew that they had a real shot to make the top three in mato/distance. She and Yamazaki-kun stood together, waiting through the individual technique competition. She saw Inuyasha in the stands, watching her expectantly. She smiled at him, and he smirked back at her.

Yamazaki-kun went first. While she did well, she earned a batsu (miss) at 55 meters. Kagome knew she could beat that.

Then, it was her turn. The target was set at 28 meters; Kagome stood, legs apart, and raised her bow. As she brought it down into position, she took a breath. “Hit the mark,” she whispered, and let her arrow fly. It hit square in the center of the mato.

Kagome hit the mato again, and again, and again…all the way back to 70 meters. She was calm; she was focused; her breathing was even. Each time she pulled the string back, she saw herself aiming for Naraku, and she took a deep breath, whispering “Hit the mark” and letting her arrow fly as she let out her breath with a _whoosh_. Nowhere else, except for maybe in Inuyasha’s arms, did Kagome feel as calm and safe. With her bow, her arrows, and her power, she was unstoppable. Here, though, she had to work hard to keep her power under wraps. The added focus actually helped her hit the mato over and over again.

At the end of the tournament, Kagome had placed first in distance, to go along with the team's first-place finish. In technique, another of Kagome’s teammates, Sagura-kun, a tall, lean girl who also studied yoga, placed second. When the team gathered around Suzuki-sensei, the young coach was firm, but her eyes were smiling.

“Good work today, everyone,” she said. “It seems like we need to work on our technique, though. Sagura-kun is the only one who performed up to par. We’ll be doubling our efforts in that area starting next week.” She paused and looked at Kagome, who turned red and lowered her eyes. “Our distance work is better, but again, we can’t have one person carrying that part of our team, either. You did well today, Higurashi-kun. We’ll have to work harder on your technique, especially.” Suzuki-sensei clapped her hands. “All right, you’re dismissed. I will see you Monday after school.”

“Higurashi-kun,” Suzuki-sensei called as Kagome turned to join Inuyasha and their families. “Wait a moment.” Kagome paused. Suzuki-sensei came close to her and looked at her, hard, through her glasses. “You did well today in distance and mato. You can hit a target a kilometer away, it seems. However,” she said when Kagome started to smile, “you lack focus and do not seem to be able to follow directions. I want you to work on meditation outside of practice; daily, if you can. That should help you in refining your technique.”

Kagome bowed. “Yes, Suzuki-sensei, I will work on it. I’ve already been practicing using my third eye. I will continue that with my meditation and practicing my technique, as well.”

Suzuki-sensei nodded. “Very well. Go join your family. Enjoy your victory.”

“Thank you,” Kagome replied. “See you Monday, Sensei.”

* * *

Jii-chan and Souta were eager to celebrate Kagome’s win, while Hideaki, Sayua, and Asuka begged off to head back to the manor and give Sesshomaru a report. Kagome suspected that they didn’t have much choice there; Sesshomaru had been _very_ interested in her progress since she purified Sayua. And while Sayua seemed to have recovered fully from the incident, she was still slightly suspicious of Kagome’s abilities. Oh, and definitely pissed that Kagome purified her, but not Inuyasha.

Mrs. Higurashi had other plans. Instead of cooking a big dinner to celebrate, she suggested that Kagome and Inuyasha take a picnic dinner outside and eat under the Goshiboku, something they hadn’t done in what felt like forever—since before the well closed, for sure. Kagome suspected that her mother knew that she and Inuyasha needed a little time alone, and was working her motherly magic to make it happen. She sent Kagome upstairs to shower and dress, and suggested that she put on something pretty, to make it feel more like a date. Kagome chose a simple green skirt and white tank top, reminiscent of the clothes she wore when she and Inuyasha first met and traveled together. On her feet she wore simple leather strappy sandals, and she painted her toenails a brilliant red. She left her hair down, but brushed it until it shone. She put on a little mascara and lip gloss, opting to keep her face fresh.

When she came downstairs, she saw Inuyasha and her mother, whispering together as they packed a dinner basket. Inuyasha was also dressed simply, in a black t-shirt and jeans. He'd taken off his cloaking bracelet, to Kagome's pleasure. His feet were bare, and his hair hung down his back wildly. His shoulders were tense; his muscles stretched taut across his back. Was he nervous?

“Hey,” Kagome said softly, not wanting to interrupt. Inuyasha turned around, and his eyes bulged slightly when he saw her.

“Hey yourself,” he said. “You look stunning.”

“Thanks,” she blushed. “You look pretty good, too.”

He smiled and turned to her mother. “Basket ready?”

Mrs. Higurashi grinned and handed it to him. “Here, and take this blanket, too, to sit on. I’ll keep Jii-chan and Souta out of your hair for the evening.”

“Thanks, Mama,” said Kagome, slinging the blanket over one arm and reaching for Inuyasha’s hand. “Come on,” she added to him, smiling softly.

The night sky was clear; the moon half full. It was warm for early May. Kagome and Inuyasha walked, hand in hand, to Goshinboku, where they had once met, both so many years ago and not so many years ago at all. Kagome leaned over and spread the blanket against the trunk, purposely making sure Inuyasha got a full view of her ass, and maybe a peek of the white lace panties she wore beneath her skirt. She heard him whine appreciatively, and she grinned to herself.

While they hadn’t had much time to themselves all week, Kagome had been thinking _a lot_ about Inuyasha. Since they’d slept naked together the night after she’d purified Sayua, Kagome couldn’t get him out of her mind. And it wasn’t just how she felt about him; it was how she _felt about him_. It was a little embarrassing to be sleeping next to a man and have to touch yourself because you couldn’t touch him in the way you wanted. Because even feeling his skin _close_ made you completely and totally insane. Well, she _could have_ touched him, but she didn’t know how he would react. He was driving her crazy. She thought about his chiseled chest while at school…especially in math class, where she had trouble paying attention anyway. She thought about his cock in history, about his rock-hard abs in English, and his ass (oh gods, his _ass_!) in literature. So when her mother suggested they have a private picnic, she decided that she would get Inuyasha to notice her, to touch her, to do _something_ with her.

Kagome sat on the blanket and patted the spot next to her. Inuyasha padded over and sat beside her, putting the basket down, and Kagome rubbed his ears affectionately. He purred in response and tilted his head so she could get a better angle. They stayed like that for a few moments, Kagome scratching around the base of his ears, and gently rubbing them from base to tip. Inuyasha pulled himself up on his haunches and started pounding his foot. Kagome giggled. “Good boy,” she said huskily.

“Dammit, woman,” he growled, “do you know what you do to me?”

“Oh,” she said, now pulling her head closer so she could suck on the tips of his ears, “I think I have a good idea.”

He suddenly tackled her to the ground, kissing her hungrily, kissing her lips, her nose, her neck, her ears...whatever he could reach with his lips. She reached her arms around him and kissed him back, her hands running through his hair, up to his ears, down his back, cupping his ass. She moaned and he seized this opportunity to gain entrance into her mouth. She responded and ran her tongue along his fangs, and now it was his turn to moan.

“It’s been…too long…” she murmured.

He pulled back and looked at her hard in the eyes. “What do you want to do, Kagome?” he whispered softly.

She moved her hands back behind his head, tangling her hands in his hair. “I want you,” she said breathlessly. “I want…” she moved her hands down to the hem of his shirt, tugging it up “…I want all of you. _Now_.” She couldn’t believe the urgency in her voice.

He grunted and yanked at her tank top. “There’s not a lot of cover here, koi.”

“I don’t care,” she replied, reaching down to unbutton his jeans. “I _need you._ ”

In one motion, Inuyasha scooped her up with one hand, and moved the basket off the blanket with the other. He then picked up the blanket, and with Kagome cradled in his other arm, he moved them to the far side of the Goshinboku, out of sight of the house. There he dropped the blanket and pressed her up against the tree, kissing her madly, hands in her hair. She responded in kind, hungry for his lips, for his touch, for his cock, for all of him. She ran her hands through his hair and down his back, under his shirt, tugging it off. He grunted and pulled out his arms, leaving him shirtless and, Kagome thought greedily, so fucking sexy. She kissed his jawline and he growled, nipping at her earlobe and running his hands down her arms to her waist. She helped him pull off her tank top, and he paused, gazing at her breasts in the white lacy bra, perky and flush with desire.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he said, pressing his face to the space between her breasts, kissing the valley between them, then each swell, in turn.

“Then we are going to make some fucking gorgeous babies,” she whispered, “because you are the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.”

He breathed in sharply at her language as she reached around her back to unhook her bra, leaving her breasts on full display for him. He attacked them with fervor, inhaling her scent, the spike of her arousal driving him almost insane with desire for her. He nuzzled each breast, working her nipples over and over as she tried not to moan too loudly. She trailed her fingers down his back and worked them into his jeans and under his boxers, cupping his ass and hissing in his ear, “Feel _all_ of me, Inuyasha.” She pulled one hand from inside his jeans and guided his hands slowly, down her stomach and over her skirt. His breath hitched; she didn’t entirely know what she was doing, but she’d seen enough movies and gossiped with her friends enough to know a little about foreplay.

Not that Inuyasha needed help. Once she guided his hands down, he reached up underneath her skirt to feel her panties, which were lacy and already getting deliciously wet. Eagerly he pulled at them; before he could slice them off, she hooked them down herself. He ran his face between her breasts, kissing and nipping at her stomach, much to her pleasure, and then he lifted her skirt and inhaled her musky scent.

“Gods,” he murmured, “you smell fucking divine.” And he pressed his face between her thighs. Kagome almost climaxed on the spot as he nibbled and sucked at her wet, hot, sex. When he found her hard little nub, he planted his mouth over that and began to gently work the bundle of nerves. Then, he carefully slipped a finger inside her, careful of his claw, watching as she quietly keened and tried not to buck her hips too much. The pleasure, combined with the fear of getting caught, was bringing her to the edge quickly.

“Don’t stop,” she whispered, running her hands through his hair. He hummed against her nub in return and pumped his finger in and out of her, adding a second finger, making her hiss in ecstasy. “Inuyasha,” she moaned softly. The world exploded around her and she went rigid against the Goshinboku. He grunted and came up to devour her lips again. She could taste herself in his mouth, and it drove her wild. “I mean it,” she said huskily, running her hands inside his jeans and grabbing his cock again, “I don’t want to stop.”

He growled and buried his face in her neck. She gently pushed him back and tugged at the band of his jeans, pulling them down so his cock would spring free. For the first time, Kagome saw his manhood—really saw it—and her arousal spiked when she saw how large he was, and how stiff she made him. Tentatively, she leaned forward to kiss the tip, and he grabbed her shoulders and moaned. Gaining confidence, she opened her mouth and slid his cock as far in as she could go.

“Fuck,” she heard him groan, “your mouth is fucking divine.” Careful not to force her, he clutched her shoulders and allowed her to pump him in and out of her mouth. She sucked on the sides of his cock and ran her tongue up and down slowly. She heard his sharp intake of breath, and grabbing his cock in one hand and massaging his balls in the other, she slowly worked him around in her mouth, still moving in and out. She felt his hands running through her hair; she felt his muscles growing tense around her; she felt his breath growing shallow and ragged. “’gome,” he moaned, “I’m gonna—”

And she felt him grow impossibly hard in her mouth, and she felt herself growing wet, as he emptied himself into her, sighing and reaching around her to steady himself against the Goshinboku. She held his cock firm as she swallowed and swallowed. He tasted...sweet, like fruit. Weirdly, she wondered what he had eaten last, and if that could influence the flavor. When he was finished, she pulled back and looked up at him, grinning.

“Come here, wench,” he said darkly, and pulled her up to kiss him, crushing his lips against hers. “Fuck me,” he said again, “I’ll never use my hand again.”

Kagome started giggling. “Same here.” She paused and pulled her bra and her shirt back on as he tugged up his jeans. She decided to leave her panties off. “Inuyasha?” he looked at her. “Do you want to—”

“You know I do,” he said immediately. “However…”

“I want to, too,” she replied quickly. “I think…I think I’m ready. But,” she added, “I don’t think my family is ready for that yet. Can I ask you something?”

He pulled her close against him; she could feel how fast she’d made his heart beat. “Anything.”

“Do you…do you have to mark me the first time we…?”

He tilted her face up to his and kissed her gently. “No. But I would like to.”

She smiled. “Me, too. But I have to tell you…” she kissed him back, lightly, “I don’t know if I can wait until I’m done with school. That’s like nine months away. I am already so distracted thinking about you in my classes. Now it’s going to be worse.”

He laughed and laughed. “You think about me at school?”

She turned bright red and smacked his arm. “Shut up! I do! Gods,” she whispered, “if I didn’t have to fantasize about doing you all over Tokyo—if I was actually doing you all over Tokyo—I think I’d stand a chance in math.”

“Not much longer, koi,” he murmured, bringing a clawed hand up to caress her face. “In fact, that’s why…” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. “I want to make this official. Real for all those human guys so they know you’re off-limits.”

Kagome took the box from him, shaking. She opened it; inside was a beautiful, tear-shaped diamond, sitting in a white gold setting with tiny scrolls engraved into the sides.

“Inuyasha,” she breathed, “it’s beautiful.”

“It’s yours,” he said, “if you’ll have it…and me.”

She paused for a minute, taking the ring out and examining it closely. Inuyasha held his breath. She looked up at him. “Where did you get this? How could you afford it?”

He blushed slightly. “Your mother helped me. The diamond is from her ring, which helped to cut down on the cost, and we thought you’d like that better, anyway. She and I picked out the setting together. There’s also a wedding band,” he added hopefully.

Kagome was silent for what seemed like a long time. Inuyasha could tell she was deep in thought. “This makes it real,” she said finally. She turned her eyes back to him; Inuyasha could smell the salt before her saw her tears. Oh, fuck, what had he done?

“This is really real?” she asked him. He gave the tiniest possible nod.

He was shocked when she handed the ring back to him, her expression neutral. What was going on?

She suddenly smiled widely. “Then, yes,” she said, “yes, yes, yes!” She leapt into his arms, kissing him madly. He laughed, kissing her back, over and over, and lifting her all the way up into his arms for a deep hug. He set her down and she held out her left hand. “Would you put it on me, please?” She noticed his confusion and wiggled her left ring finger. “Here,” she said.

Inuyasha held her gaze, grinning as much as she was. He took her small hand in his, and slowly slipped the ring on her fourth finger. She held it up and together, they looked at it, reflecting against the lights of the house in the distance.

“It’s perfect,” she said, snuggling into his side. “Thank you.” She looked up at him. “You really planned this with my mom?”

He slipped his arm around her. “I wanted to do something special for you, to show you that I love you and that I trust you. This was her idea, but I thought it was exactly right.”

“And it’s the diamond my dad gave to her,” she said softly, turning her hand so she could see the ring from all angles.

“Your past, present, and future,” he added, leaning in so he could admire the ring on her finger.

She took a deep, shuddering breath. “You are full of surprises, puppy boy,” she said teasingly, reaching up to stroke his ear affectionately.

He leaned into her touch and his chest rumbled against her. “You better not do that for too long,” he said roughly, “or I will have gotten that ring on your finger _just in time_.”

She laughed and pulled her fingers away, Inuyasha whining when she broke contact.

“I want to do something for you, too,” she said softly. Reaching forward, she pulled gently on the rosary he always wore and started to lift it over his head.

“What are you doing?” he asked in a panic.

“If we are engaged,” she replied, still holding the rosary, “and if we are to be mated, I don’t want to have this kind of control over you anymore.”

“You haven’t even thought of sitting me since we got here,” he pointed out.

“True,” she admitted, “but that doesn’t mean I won’t do it by accident.”

He reached out and gripped her wrists gently, pulling them down. “This necklace is here to protect me from myself, to protect others from me,” he told her. “I trust you to use it only when needed, and not whenever you feel like it.”

“Really?” she breathed. She couldn’t believe he wasn’t jumping at the chance to get it off.

“Really,” he replied. “And it reminds me of when we first met, and what an ass I was, and how much I’ve come to love you now.” He took her wrists and hooked them around his neck, drawing her close. He rested his forehead against hers. “Trust, ‘Gome,” he said quietly.

She smiled. “Trust.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With Kagome's first kyudo competition, there's lots to unpack. I'll try to do it briefly.
> 
> First, her uniform:
> 
> gi: the short-sleeved top that's tucked into hakama and held in place with an obi  
> muneate: chest guard. It's shaped like a warped triangle (almost like a heart), and it's worn so that the two points of the triangle are on the side of the chest opposite from where the kyudoka (archer) will hold their bow.  
> kake: glove used to draw back the bowstring and hold the arrow  
> tabi: traditional split-toed socks
> 
> And just a little about the competition itself. 
> 
> For technique, as I said in Ch. 4, competitors will complete a hassetsu (eight stages of shooting), while for distance, competitors will try to hit the mato (the target). Hitting the mato results in a maru (hit). Missing the mato is a batsu (miss). Competitors will still want to hit the mato in technique, but it's still part of the whole hassetsu, and thus not worth as much as in the distance competition.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this little taste of limey goodness! I have loved watching this relationship grow and develop, and they will be ready for some real action in the next chapter, which features the first appearance of everyone's favorite wolf! Thanks so much for reading! :)


	9. The Would-Be Prince of the West

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha faces his trial to become Sesshomaru's heir. Bears are unpredictable!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the other anime/manga characters. Everyone else is mine...
> 
> Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading thus far! I appreciate all the love :)
> 
> This was probably my favorite chapter to write. Enjoy!

“Remind me again of exactly what’s going to happen today, Sesshomaru,” Inuyasha said, his hand going to Tetsusaiga at his hip almost unconsciously. Kagome held onto his other hand, trying to give him some comfort before the meeting and the ceremony. He was dressed in his traditional fire-rat haori and hakama; it felt good to have on his old clothes again. Kagome was wearing a stunning red kimono that Rin must have procured from somewhere; Inuyasha thought she looked breathtaking. Her ring sparkled on the fourth finger of her left hand. When Sesshomaru and Rin had picked them up, Rin saw it immediately and began squealing with delight, much to both brothers’ dismay. Inuyasha’s ears felt like they were bleeding. But even Sesshomaru had managed to not scowl at the news, and Rin offered to help Kagome in any way she could to plan the ceremony. But that would come later…after today.

Sesshomaru sighed. “If I knew you were such a baka, I would have asked the monk to be my heir,” he commented, in a rare moment of using casual language.

“Which you can’t do because he’s human,” Rin pointed out helpfully.

The four were riding in a car to an undisclosed location outside Tokyo, where the four demon lords and their most trusted associates would be meeting. At this meeting, Sesshomaru would officially name Inuyasha as his heir, and hopefully there wouldn’t be excessive bloodshed. From what Inuyasha had been able to discern, certain parties weren’t thrilled at the idea of a half-demon being named heir, and others were just displeased that it was him (Kouga came to mind there). He knew he might have to fight to lay his claim as heir to the throne, and he had to admit… the thought of finally running the Tetsusaiga through that mangy wolf was quite appealing. Although he needed to keep the wolf alive long enough so he could see the ring on Kagome’s finger, and smell him on her. They weren’t mated yet, but this was almost as good. He was going to show that damn Kouga who had Kagome’s heart, after all.

The car pulled up to a large gate that had stone walls on either side. It was impossible to tell what was behind the gate. Jaken rolled down his window and pressed an intercom button. “The Lord of the West and his party have arrived,” he said. A one-way window appeared in the wall beside the gate. They couldn’t see who was there, but clearly the party inside could see them. “Confirmed,” a raspy voice replied through the intercom, which shut off. Then, slowly, the gate rumbled open and Jaken drove through.

At first, the road was surrounded by nothing but forest. Kagome was beginning to think that perhaps there was _nothing_ inside these walls when Inuyasha pressed her hand sharply. She looked out his window, and saw what looked like a massive…stadium?

Indeed it was. As Jaken pulled closer, Kagome could see that the building was enormous, and roundish in shape. It towered at least ten stories high. However, although many modern stadiums were fully open-air, even allowing sight lines to the outside when one was in the stadium, this one seemed to be entirely enclosed, save for the open roof. Kagome could see giant glass windows, but again, they seemed to be one-way; she couldn’t see in, but was pretty sure anyone inside could see out. What in the seven hells was going to happen in there?

Jaken stopped the car in front of the stadium, and the four departed the car. He drove off to park. Inuyasha and Kagome, still holding hands, looked up…and up…and up.

“If you two can keep your mouths closed,” commented Sesshomaru, “the entrance is over here.” He grasped Rin’s hand and tugged her along after him. Inuyasha and Kagome followed. While the entrance was a simple glass door, Sesshomaru had to confirm his identity first. He stared blandly into a glass case beside the door, and Inuyasha audibly gasped when a green laser light emitted from the case and went over Sesshomaru’s face, top to bottom. The door clicked and Sesshomaru was able to open it easily.

“What the fuck was that?” Inuyasha muttered to Kagome.

“Facial recognition software,” she murmured back. “Basically, it scans his face to confirm his identity.” She knew it existed, but she’d only seen it in action movies.

The hallway was as nondescript as the entrance: gray, concrete, nothing special. They walked what felt like the circumference of the building before they stopped at another plain gray door. Here Sesshomaru turned to Kagome.

“Miko,” he said, “how advanced is your barrier?”

“I’m not able to make myself disappear,” she replied nervously, “but I can hold it at least thirty minutes.”

“Can you protect others with it, besides my brother?”

Kagome hesitated. “I’m not sure yet. We could give it a shot, though, if we need to.”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” said Inuyasha suddenly. “Why the hell does she need to be able to make a barrier?”

“I have no idea how things are going to go in there, little brother,” Sesshomaru replied simply. “She may need to protect herself. She may also need to show off her power. There are those who will not like that the heir to the West’s intended is a human. But a powerful miko is enough to strike fear into them.”

“Because I could purify their asses,” Kagome added helpfully, with glee.

“I don’t want you in any danger,” Inuyasha said to her seriously. “No purifying _anyone’s_ ass today, got that?”

She grinned. “I can’t promise anything. You better watch yourself, _my prince_.”

Inuyasha groaned inwardly. He didn’t like this. At all.

Sesshomaru led them down another long hallway, at the end of which was clearly the outdoors. Kagome gasped as they were led into a large open stadium, with thousands and thousands of seats, most of which were filled. With demons. Jeering, screaming…demons.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome whispered, gripping his hand tightly. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

Inuyasha moved his thumb so that it could stroke the back of her hand. “Don’t worry. It will be fine.”

In the middle of the stadium was a dais with a round table. Already seated there were three demons; Inuyasha growled, and Kagome instantly recognized Kouga. He looked the same; incredibly handsome, sparkling blue eyes, long black ponytail with a furry headband, clothed in a combination of furs and armor. He was resting back in his chair, legs swung over the arm, clearly bored. The other two youkai Kagome had never seen before. One was a boar youkai, a giant boar youkai. His ears were rounded and lay flat against his head; his eyes were tiny; his nose a snout. He didn’t look as human as Kouga or even Sesshomaru. He was much older; most of his hair was white, and he wore it short, emphasizing his boar ears.

“That’s Kashikoi,” whispered Inuyasha, “the Lord of the South.”

“He doesn’t look so scary,” Kagome commented.

“That’s because he’s not fully transformed,” Rin said, shivering. “When he’s does, he loses most of his rational thinking, and for a boar, that’s terrifying for everything in its path.”

“I think what’s next to Kouga is even more terrifying,” Kagome whispered, grasping Inuyasha’s arm so tightly he could feel her power burning into his skin through his fire-rat.

It was a bear. A fucking giant, brown bear.

His face was human, but he had large, furry bear ears, round bear eyes, a pudgy bear nose (snout, really), and he sat at the table, clacking his huge, sharp claws.

“Ussuri,” Inuyasha told her. “Lord of the East, although he wants to be Lord of the North, too. Wolves and bears hate each other. I would bet Sess and Kashikoi have their hands full with those two.”

Sesshomaru suddenly hissed at them, and they fell silent. “Wait here,” he said, “until I call you. _Do not move_ until I call for you. Rin,” he said, turning to his mate, “I want you to wait inside. In the safe room, with Ayame and the others.”

Rin stood on tiptoe and kissed Sesshomaru lightly on the cheek. “I’ll be fine.” She turned to Inuyasha and Kagome. “Good luck, you two,” she said, and slipped back through the corridor.

Sesshomaru left Inuyasha and Kagome in the massive doorway and made his way slowly to the dais. As the youkai in the stadium registered his appearance, they began to holler and jeer – many more hollers than jeers, Kagome noticed. Sesshomaru ignored all the noise and climbed the stairs to the dais, where he nodded slightly to the other Lords, and took his seat to Kouga’s right. The four lords spoke briefly for several minutes, while the noise in the stadium continued to grow. Finally, Sesshomaru rose, and the stadium fell silent.

“Thank you all for coming here today,” he said, his voice magnified by an unknown force. “Today we will announce a new heir to the Lord of the West, one who will pass the trials he must face and will make our kingdom even stronger. This Sesshomaru would like to present his brother, Inuyasha.” He signaled to Inuyasha, who squeezed Kagome’s hand once, and then moved to the dais. When Sesshomaru nodded, he climbed the stairs and stood next to his brother.

“Inuyasha fought bravely alongside this Sesshomaru in the battle against Naraku,” Sesshomaru continued. “Many of you may remember his sword, the Tetsusaiga, which is one of the most feared demonic weapons in history.” At this, Inuyasha pulled out his sword, and many in the crowd audibly gasped when it transformed from a rusty blade to a gigantic fang, gleaming in the morning light. “Inuyasha’s sword can fell 100 demons with one swing; it can shoot adamantium; it can create a path to the underworld.” Inuyasha felt like a fool on display, but he knew all this posturing was important. He could hear the crowd talking animatedly amongst themselves; many of them were eyeing the Tetsusaiga with fear.

“Can we see a demonstration of this sword, Lord of the West?” called out a voice from the crowd. Other youkai picked up on this thread, all shouting and clamoring for Inuyasha to demonstrate the power of the Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru knew this was trouble; to unleash the Tetsusaiga in an enclosed space would likely mean some very dead youkai, and definitely a battle.

“That’s a really, really, fucking bad idea,” said a voice from the dais. Everyone turned; Kouga was now standing, his black ponytail streaming in the breeze, his face set. “I’ve seen this sword in action, and it’ll blow half the stadium away if he uses it in here.”

“What trials do you plan to have him face, Sesshomaru?” asked Ussuri lazily, flicking a bug away with his paw. “Maybe he could demonstrate its force that way, so that _some people_ —” here he shot a look at Kouga, who scowled and moved his hand to the hilt of his own sword “—wouldn’t be scared.”

“You take that back you son of a—”

“The trials are a good place to show the strength of the sword,” said Kashikoi, interrupting the brewing fight. “Let’s see what the would-be Prince of the West is made of.”

Inuyasha cracked his claws. “Let’s fucking do it,” he said savagely. It had been too long since he’d had a real opponent, and even the thought of a fight was filling him with bloodlust.

Ussuri leaped down from the dais suddenly, and in a move too quick for a bear, reached the entrance to the stadium and snatched up Kagome. “Kagome!” Inuyasha and Kouga both shouted after him. Kagome struggled against his grasp. She’d been right to be terrified of the bear. He was erratic and wild.

“Is this your mate, would-be Prince of the West?” called Ussuri scathingly. “She’s delectable.”

“You leave her the fuck alone!” Inuyasha yelled.

“Ussuri!” yelled Kouga. “You hurt her and I’ll kill you myself!”

“Ah,” said Ussuri thoughtfully, stroking Kagome’s hair. “A love triangle, even with Kouga mated! This should be good. Would-be Prince,” he called up to Inuyasha. “I’m taking your…” he paused and sniffed Kagome, who turned six shades of red “…your intended mate,” he decided to finally call her. “You have one hour to find us and fight me to gain her back. If you do, then I accept your claim as the Lord of the West’s heir. If you fail, I’ll kill her.” With that, he crouched low, and with a tremendous burst of energy, leaped out of the stadium and out of sight.

Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Kouga exchanged frantic glances. “Was this in the plan, Sesshomaru?” asked Kouga worriedly.

Sesshomaru shook his head. “No,” he replied, “but you know how that bear can be.”

Kouga turned to Inuyasha. “You better find her and fucking end him,” he said menacingly, “or I swear I’ll fucking kill you myself.”

Inuyasha looked at Kouga, his molten eyes hardening. “Don’t worry,” he said, “I’m on it.” With that, he jumped off the dais, got a running start, and leapt out of the stadium, in the same direction as Ussuri had gone.

Kouga slammed his hand on the table, cracking it down the middle. “Dammit!” he howled. He may have been mated to Ayame now, but he still cared for Kagome fiercely, and always would. He hated the idea of the hanyou rescuing her, but he also knew that this had been her choice, and as he had done 500 years before, he needed to accept it, even if he didn’t like it.

“Kagome being kidnapped is the least of our worries,” Sesshomaru remarked as the noise around the dais reached deafening levels. Kouga and Kashikoi turned to him, surprised. “We have to make sure the miko doesn’t accidentally start a war.”

“How the hell would she do that?” asked Kouga, surprised.

Sesshomaru sat down and started the timer on his cell phone. “She can purify Ussuri and turn him into ashes,” he commented. “And then who will rule the Land of the East?”

Both Kouga and Kashikoi shuddered at that thought. While neither was exactly fond of the bastard bear, he ruled the East with an iron fist. If he were to suddenly be purified, there would be a black hole where he’d been that could threaten to pull the other lands down along with it.

Kouga whistled. “We better hope Kagome has the good sense to let the mutt rescue her, and not try to do anything on her own,” he said, knowing he and Sesshomaru were thinking she might do the exact opposite of that.

* * *

Ussuri may have been a bear, but gods, he was fast. It was all Kagome could do to keep from passing out as he rushed through the trees, whipping her around so fast she was getting nauseated from all the movement. Whatever she did, though, she knew that she had to hold it together and keep her power under control. One slip and she could purify Ussuri. She’d joked about it before, but she knew that this was Inuyasha’s trial, and she wanted him to pass quickly so they could all go home. She knew he’d come for her, anyway, so hopefully she didn’t need to put a full demonstration of her powers on display…yet. Plus, the longer Ussuri just thought she was a weak human without any power of her own, the better. She shuddered to think what he might do if he found out she was not only a miko, but the miko who had destroyed Naraku and the Shikon no Tama.

“Getting tired, girlie?” asked Ussuri nastily as they bounded through the forest.

“Not even a bit,” she shot back at him, catching her breath at a particularly sharp turn. “You better hope Inuyasha finds us quickly. He’s not going to be in a good mood when he does.”

Ussuri laughed and leaped high into a tree. He set her down for a moment, knowing she wouldn’t think of jumping. He held onto the trunk, listening for and scenting her intended. Now that they had stopped, Kagome quietly sent out her aura, trying to avoid Ussuri’s youki so he wouldn’t know what she was doing. She hoped Inuyasha would sense her and follow the trail more quickly because, as Ussuri scooped her up and swung her down through the branches, scraping her skin and making her stomach roll, she didn’t know how much more she could take of this.

* * *

Moving like a red flash of light through the forest, Inuyasha tried to stay cool and not let his emotions get the best of him. If he was going to scent Kagome out, he needed to keep his wits about him and rely on his training to help him find her. But _fuck_ , he was going to kill that _fucking bear_! And then Kouga giving him shit on top of everything else was almost more than he could take. He had only been half-joking when he said he wished he could run Tetsusaiga through that mangy wolf, but now it would going to take all his willpower to not do it when he and Kagome got back.

 _He and Kagome_ …Inuyasha felt a brush of what felt like her aura come up against his youki. He paused, ears twitching, breath coming in short gasps as he concentrated. He stretched out with his youki, and definitely felt her. It was tentative, but her, and moving away…fast. _Fuck_! Fuck, that bear was fast. Inuyasha took off again through the forest, going as quickly and as quietly as he could, trying to remember what Sayua and Asuka had taught him about suppressing his youki. He wanted to try and come upon that bastard unseen and unfelt.

It wasn’t long before he felt Kagome again. She was still tentative, as if trying and not trying to reach him all at once. This time the direction was clearer. He fought with all he had to keep control. If he fucked this up, she’d be dead, or she could purify the damn bear and cause a civil war and still get killed. He growled, fighting to suppress his youki a little longer. Now he could sense the bear, too. They had stopped moving.

“Inuyasha!” he heard Ussuri bellow. “Inuyasha! Come get your mate, you son of a bitch!”

That one made him lose all sense of care and quiet he’d been trying to preserve. “Ussuri!” he screamed, unsheathing Tetsusaiga and felling trees as he made his way to the bear and his intended. He felt his youki taking over, and he let it. Fuck his training—he had to get to Kagome!

And then there she was, in a clearing; the bastard had her by the throat, and he could see her shapely legs kicking out from under his grasp, her kimono billowing about her. “Inuyasha!” she wheezed, and the bear squeezed her neck a little tighter.

Inuyasha paced the perimeter of the clearing like a beast stalking its prey. He lifted his sword and pointed it right at the bear. “Ussuri,” he said, deadly calm, “let her go. She has nothing to do with this.”

“Oh, mutt,” said the bear, “you’re wrong. She has everything to do with this. I know who she is, don’t I, _Shikon no Tama no miko_?” he hissed in Kagome’s ear. Kagome froze as Inuyasha howled. Ussuri held her out to Inuyasha. “Killer of Naraku; destroyer of the Shikon no Tama; the most powerful priestess since Kikyo.” Kagome’s feet kept kicking pitifully.

“I wonder,” Ussuri mused, “how she might be of use to me in the East.” He pulled her up so she was face-to-face with his horrible snout. “How would you feel about purifying some wolf youkai for me, little miko?” he asked, quite seriously. “There’s one in particular I think your mate would also like to see you get rid of.”

“ _Don’t you bring Kouga into this, you bastard!_ ” she screamed at him. “I’m not doing shit for you!”

“Funny how that works,” the bear commented. He turned to Inuyasha. “If you won’t help me, maybe your mate will, right, mutt?”

“I’m serious, Ussuri,” said Inuyasha, still pointing Tetsusaiga at the bear. “Let. Her. Go.”

Ussuri laughed and shook Kagome with each word as he responded. “Why. Should. I.”

“Because,” Inuyasha sneered, “I don’t care if you have Kagome or not. You’re mine, you bastard!” And he rushed at the bear, his sword aloft.

“Kagome, now!” he yelled. Kagome flashed her power just enough to scald the bear. He howled in pain and dropped her. “Kaze no kizu!” Inuyasha screamed and brought Tetsusaiga down as Kagome rolled away. A massive blast of wind and energy burst forth from the sword, totally engulfing the bear, the clearing, and the forest.

Dust and the smell of smoking charred wood filled Inuyasha’s nose, making him sneeze. _Did I get him? Did I get him_? He peered through the smoke and dust. As the dust cleared, he saw the bear: Ussuri had blocked his forearms in an X in front of his body, his armor taking the brunt of the Kaze no Kizu. His armor on his forearms was ripped to shreds, and Inuyasha could see that his legs were torn and bleeding. Ussuri may have survived the blast, but he took heavy damage. One more attack should finish him off.

“Kagome!” Inuyasha yelled as the bear lowered his arms, panting.

“I’m here,” he heard her say. She came into the light streaming in through what was left of the trees, still glowing pink. He crossed to her in what felt like one step and crushed her to his chest. “I made a barrier,” she said into his haori. “I’m fine.”

“Get behind me,” he said, raising the Tetsusaiga to fighting stance. The bear huffed.

“Not bad for a hanyou,” he said, shaking his forearms free of the last of his armor. “But let’s see how you fare in hand-to-hand combat!” And with that, he roared and flung himself at Inuyasha.

“Fuck!” Inuyasha swore, quickly sheathing the Tetsusaiga and shoving Kagome out of the way. He dodged the bear’s initial attack—the bear was strong, but Inuyasha could tell he was slower as a fighter than he was through the air, and that would be his undoing. Inuyasha sprang from the ground and flashed his claws at the bear. “Sankou tessou!” he roared, and his attack raked down the bear’s right arm, ripping out flesh and blood, so deep he could feel the bone. The bear retaliated by striking Inuyasha in the jaw, and he flew back and slammed into a tree.

“Inuyasha!” cried Kagome, running forward.

“Don’t come nearer!” he yelled. “I’m fine. Worry about yourself!”

“I’m worried about _you_ , baka!” she shrieked, still glowing pink. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her construct a barrier.

“Stay back!” he ordered her as the bear flung himself at Inuyasha again. Inuyasha dodged another attack and hit the bear in his stomach. Back and forth they went, blasting the trees and making craters in the earth as they battled. Kagome wisely kept herself and her barrier out of the way, trying to give Inuyasha the space he needed to win. He didn’t need to worry about her, or about her accidentally purifying their opponent.

The hanyou and the youkai circled each other, each breathing heavily. Inuyasha was exhilarated by the battle; it had been so long since he’d been able to flex his skills in a real fight. Each time the bear went for him, Inuyasha dodged and returned his attacks, blow for blow. He was laughing; the bear was roaring in fury. Even when the bear landed a punch, Inuyasha laughed. He hadn’t felt this alive in weeks. Training was nothing compared to real combat, and he relished it. The bear could dish it out all day and all night; Inuyasha was ready to serve it right back at him, waiting patiently for an opening.

Then finally, he got it.

The bear attacked, aiming straight for Inuyasha’s gut; Inuyasha jumped over Ussuri and drove his fist into the back of the bear’s neck. He heard a sickening crack and the bear slumped to the ground. While he was down, Inuyasha whipped out the Tetsusaiga again. No way was he going to let a second chance slip by.

“Kaze no kizu!” he bellowed again, and the energy from the Tetsusaiga roared, whipping through the trees and once again engulfing Ussuri. This time, when the dust cleared, Inuyasha could see that the bear was in pieces, his body littering the clearing. He sliced through the bear’s head, making sure he was truly dead.

“Inuyasha!” he heard Kagome cry from behind him. He turned to see her lower her barrier and run towards him. He took her by the arms and held her out so he could examine her in detail. Her hair was singed, her kimono torn, and there were cuts and bruises on her arms and legs, and one especially large bruise around her neck from where Ussuri held her that made him cringe, but she was okay. He folded her in his arms again. “Thank the gods,” he murmured into her hair.

“You did great for not seeing action for a while,” she teased him lightly.

“Don’t joke, woman!” he said to her desperately. “I thought I was gonna lose you!”

“I knew I wasn’t going to lose _you_ ,” she replied pointedly. “I knew you would come for me. And if not…zap!” she actually _giggled_. Inuyasha was about to lose his fucking mind.

“Come on,” he said roughly, giving her a deep kiss, “let’s get back. I just killed the Lord of the East. I have a feeling there’s gonna be hell to pay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha is back in action. He's thrilled, although not as thrilled to see Kouga as we might be!
> 
> Thank you so much for continuing to read my little story. It gives me so much joy <3


	10. Freedom of Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha receives a startling proposal. Several issues are resolved. Inuyasha grosses Kagome out :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the other characters from the anime/mange. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Just a short chapter to resolve the trials before we move on to the next arc! Thanks for reading, everyone -- please enjoy <3

Finding a particularly long stick, Inuyasha sharpened the end and slid several parts of the former Lord of the East onto the pole. He needed proof that he had killed the bear youkai, and this would do nicely, even if Kagome was making gagging sounds as he did it. Then she climbed on his back—no way was she letting him carry her bridal style along with the bear-pole—and he took off towards the youkai stadium. They were both silent; both recognized the seriousness of what had just happened. Inuyasha was well within his rights to kill Ussuri; he had kidnapped Inuyasha’s intended mate and threatened both their lives. But, they both knew that while Kouga might be ecstatic (although pissed he hadn’t done the deed himself), Sesshomaru and Kashikoi might be less so. And now there was a void at the top in the East that needed to be filled. That could start a war.

They reached the wall surrounding the stadium. “Ready?” Inuyasha asked her. Kagome nodded and curled herself tighter around his back, bracing for the impact. He crouched low, and then burst up from the ground, leaving a dent where he had been. He flew up the branches of a nearby tree, and then rocketed over the stadium wall and back inside the arena, landing with a resounding thud.

The stadium, which had been buzzing with activity, feel silent as all eyes focused on Inuyasha and Kagome. The remaining Lords rose from the dais. With Kagome still on his back, Inuyasha strode to the dais and stood before the Lords, silver hair streaming and caked with dirt and blood. As Kagome slid from his back and stood beside her intended, Inuyasha slammed the bear-pole into the ground and dropped to one knee.

“My Lords,” he said, “The Lord of the East, Ussuri, kidnapped my intended mate, Higurashi Kagome, the Shikon no Tama no miko, killer of Naraku and destroyer of the Shikon no Tama. I pursued them and found them in a clearing in the woods. The Lord of the East held Higurashi-sama by her neck and threatened to use her power against the other Lords, in particular the Lord of the North.” At this, Kouga growled. “When Higurashi-sama refused to help him, he then threatened me with her life.” Inuyasha’s voice grew hard. “Higurashi-sama and I worked together to free her, and the Lord of the East and I fought. The battle was fierce, but I killed him. And as proof, I bring this.” Here Inuyasha raised the bear-pole and held it out to the remaining Lords. “These are the remains of Ussuri, the Lord of the East. I do not regret rescuing my intended mate, my Lords, but I do regret having to kill the Lord of the East in order to do so.” Here Inuyasha paused and looked up the Lords expectantly. Kagome could sense his nervousness hidden underneath his resolve.

As expected, Kouga’s eyes flashed and he jumped to his feet. “How is Higurashi-sama?” he asked anxiously.

Kagome stepped forward, bowing her head. “I am fine, Lord of the North,” she said, “and I thank you for your concern.”

Sesshomaru and Kashikoi now also rose. “This is a most disturbing development, would-be Prince,” said Kashikoi. “This Kashikoi is sorry that the Lord of the East kidnapped your intended, but are you sure that his death had to occur?”

“My Lord,” Kagome interrupted, “if I may?” Kashikoi nodded, and she continued. “What Inuyasha has said is true,” she declared. “The Lord of the East kidnapped me and threatened my life if Inuyasha and I did not acquiesce to his request. As Inuyasha has shown his proof, so too let me show mine.” She drew back the collar of her kimono and yukata, and showed the bruises on her neck quite clearly. Kagome heard Kouga growling, and saw a flicker of concern flash across Sesshomaru’s face. “Inuyasha acted to not only save my life, but to protect the lives of countless youkai, particularly the life of the Lord of the North, whom the Lord of the East specifically demanded I purify.” Gasps resounded throughout the arena, and Kouga’s face showed barely a hint of gratitude before it hardened.

“My Lords,” said Kouga, who was now pacing the dais, his tail swishing as he carefully worked through his thoughts, “this is a most serious situation. This should have been a trial to confirm the mu—Inuyasha as the Prince of the West, and we’re left with a dead Lord and a vacuum in the East. Ussuri had not yet named an heir. So,” he turned to Kashikoi and Sesshomaru, “what do we do?”

“The answer is simple,” replied Kashikoi. “Inuyasha should be the new Lord of the East.”

“What??” Inuyasha and Kagome exclaimed together.

Kashikoi peered down the dais at them both. “You showed great strength in this battle,” he stated, “and clearly proved your worth to be the Prince of the West. The Lord of the East acted in bad form. You acted honorably. If you wanted to stake a claim on the throne of the East, this Kashikoi would not stand in your way.”

Inuyasha looked at Sesshomaru and Kouga; neither betrayed their thoughts on their faces. The arena was deadly silent. Kagome slipped her hand into Inuyasha’s and squeezed it, saying, _Whatever decision you make, I’m on your side_. He squeezed her hand back.

Inuyasha closed his eyes. This was a great opportunity; he knew that. He knew that he would gain power, respectability, control, and more power. He looked down at Kagome, whose face, covered in scratches, shone back up at him. Could he sentence her to a life of royalty? He knew what it would be like for her: cooped up in a manor, busy with duties, her life forever changed without any say on her part. He knew she loved freedom; he knew that she wanted to make her own way in the world. Even though she loved him and wanted to be bound to him, he also knew that she valued their privacy and their ability to shape their future together. If he accepted, all that would go away. And if he was being honest with himself, he valued their privacy and their freedom, too. He didn’t want their future children growing up with the pressure of the throne looming over their heads. He had only agreed to become Sesshomaru’s heir as a favor to his brother, who had been essential to Naraku’s defeat, and who had protected Kagome inside Naraku when he could not. It was his hope that Rin and Sesshomaru would eventually have a son, and his position as heir would come to an end. In reality, he desired a simple life, with his mate and their family.

“My Lords,” he said, his head bowed, “I thank you for this incredible opportunity, but…” he paused, “but I cannot accept this honor.” He raised his head; Kashikoi looked shocked and offended, but Kouga nodded, and Sesshomaru…was smiling?

“My Lords,” he continued, “I am a simple man; I crave a life of privacy. My intended is the Shikon no Tama no miko, and she has grown tired of her life in the spotlight. For two years we hunted the jewel and fought Naraku, and we finally won. Higurashi-sama was trapped in the jewel by Byakuya of the Dreams, and she languished there for three days while I entered the Meido after her. When we were reunited, she wished the jewel would disappear forever, and we returned to this time instead of to the Sengoku Jidai. Here, she and I want nothing more than to retire to her family shrine and live our lives peacefully. I am happy to be heir to my brother, the Lord of the West, and serve him as he requires, but that is as far as my political aspirations go. It is my hope that the Lords have someone in mind who may assume the throne of the East, and will do so more judiciously than I would be able to do.”

Inuyasha paused to catch his breath. He looked at the Lords expectantly, Kagome rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb reassuringly. It felt like a long time before anyone spoke.

“Well,” Kouga said gruffly, adjusting his fur headband, “We’ve been given our answer, my Lords. The would-be Prince of the West has spoken honorably and honestly, and we cannot fault him for his wishes. Unlike the rest of us, he was not born into his position; he has earned it, and he has earned the right to nobly turn us down.”

“This Sesshomaru agrees with the Lord of the North,” said Sesshomaru blandly. He turned to the arena. “Let it be known that until such time that we can name a successor to the traitor Ussuri, the three remaining Lords will oversee the land of the East, and offer our protection to its people. Perhaps this is also the best option for the people,” he muttered under his breath. He turned to Inuyasha. “Come to the dais, Prince of the West and his intended.” Inuyasha and Kagome complied, climbing the steps to stand beside Sesshomaru. “People of the West,” he exclaimed in the loudest voice Inuyasha had ever heard him use, “This Sesshomaru gives you the Prince of the West, his brother, Inuyasha.” And there was great cheering in the arena as Inuyasha and Kagome stood together, arms around each other, having earned acceptance from not only Sesshomaru and the other Lords—even Kouga!—but youkai all over the country, as well.

* * *

The arena eventually emptied, the buzz of the youkai who had witnessed what happened that day fading as they left. Finally, only the Lords, Inuyasha, and Kagome remained. They all sat around the cracked table on the dais, still in shock from all that had transpired.

Finally, Kouga got up, and circled the table to where Kagome was seated. He touched her shoulder, and she looked up at him. His eyes were shining. “Kagome,” he said, and she stood, facing him. He opened his arms to her, and she fell into them, remembering how he had protected her when Inuyasha was busy caring for Kikyo and then busy mourning her. She remembered how he carried her on his back to Mt. Asuza so she could receive the bow that might save Kikyo—the bow that she used to pierce the Shikon no Tama, the bow she used to help kill Naraku. She remembered how Kouga had warned Inuyasha that he wasn’t the only one suffering; she remembered how he had loved her. Kagome remembered everything.

“Kouga,” she said happily. “I’m so glad to see you.”

He held her at arm’s length. “Shit, Kagome, you don’t look any different. You’re still beautiful.”

She blushed and Inuyasha growled, unsure of how much of Kouga’s affection for his intended he could take. “I guess now you know my secret,” she said slowly. “That I’m from this time, and that when I destroyed the jewel, it sent me and Inuyasha back here forever. We can’t get back.” She smiled at Inuyasha. “Although I’m not sure I would want to.”

Kouga looked from Kagome to Inuyasha. He could tell something had changed between them. He turned to Inuyasha. “I want to thank you, mutt-face,” he said matter-of-factly. “You saved Kagome, and you stood up for me when Ussuri wanted to use both of you to bring me down. That bear bastard had been gunning for me for two hundred years. He thought I usurped his land, even though I inherited it fairly. Ookami have always ruled the North; he was jealous of our control of what he wrongly thought were his lands.”

“It’s over now, Lord Kouga,” said Kashikoi indifferently. “And you get a piece of his land.”

Kouga barked out a laugh and rubbed Kagome’s hair affectionately. “Irony is bittersweet,” he commented, looking at her fondly.

Inuyasha rose and Kagome broke from Kouga’s grasp to return to her intended. He slipped his left arm around her shoulders and she nuzzled into his side. Kouga smiled, a little bit sadly. “I’m also glad that you finally admitted how you feel about her, mutt-face. She needs a real man to stand up for her and protect her, one who’s not so fucking juvenile about his feelings.” Kagome couldn’t help but smile at that, remembering how Kouga had always been upfront about his feelings for her.

Inuyasha’s cheeks pinked slightly. “Yeah, well…it’s funny how being trapped in the underworld can change the way you see things.” He chuckled as Kagome kissed his cheek. Kouga extended his hand to Inuyasha; Inuyasha shook it firmly. The wolf and the dog exchanged a solid, knowing look. Kagome burst into tears, and they turned their gaze to her, horrified.

“Are you guys going to get along now?” she wailed. “Because that’s awesome!”

“I don’t know if I’d go that far, wench,” Inuyasha grunted, “but…are we good, wolf?”

Kouga grinned and clasped Inuyasha’s hand tighter. “We’re good, dog-boy.” Kagome cried even harder, getting tears all over Inuyasha's fire-rat haori.

Sesshomaru rose. “Now that this disgusting display is over,” he said, “little brother.”

“Yeah, what is it?” Inuyasha was still shaking Kouga’s hand and not paying attention to his brother.

“It’s time to go,” Sesshomaru said. “Get yourselves to the car. This Sesshomaru must collect his mate.” And he left the dais swiftly.

Kashikoi also rose and faced Inuyasha, Kouga, and Kagome. “This is an important alliance you have formed,” he told them. “It will go a long way to protecting the lands of the East. Prince of the West.”

“Yes, my Lord?” answered Inuyasha.

“This Kashikoi hopes you will aid us in protecting the lands of the East as well as your own in the West. While we understand why you would not want to assume the title yourself, we also hope that you will understand that your role as Prince of the West has just gotten more complicated.”

Inuyasha bowed his head. “Yes, my Lord. I understand.”

Kashikoi flexed his powerful arms, his hoof-like hands opening and closing. “This has certainly been an interesting day. Until next time, Lord of the North, Prince of the West, Shikon no Tama no miko,” he said, nodding to each of them in turn and exiting the dais.

Kouga then grabbed Kagome by the hand. “Come on. You’ll want to catch up with Ayame before you head out, I’m sure,” he grinned, pulling her along, Inuyasha following closely and, despite their newfound truce, still growling at the wolf.


	11. Making Arrangements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sesshomaru and Jii-chan set the terms of Kagome and Inuyasha's engagement. Inuyasha remembers Kikyo, and realizes what has been in front of him, all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime/manga. Everyone else is mine :)

Kagome sighed. It had been a long afternoon, and she was grateful to be home. Sesshomaru and Rin took them back to the shrine and actually came into the house with them, much to Mrs. Higurashi’s joy and Jii-chan’s chagrin. But it was time to discuss other matters. Sesshomaru had promised to make all the necessary arrangements for the engagement, and now seemed like as good a time as any.

Sesshomaru and Jii-chan went by themselves into the living room while Mrs. Higurashi served tea and botomachi. Kagome and Inuyasha sat close together; Rin and Mrs. Higurashi spoke in hushed tones, and Souta languished at the table, looking bored and wishing he could go back to his video games. Even though it was the 21st century, Kagome’s grandfather was very traditional and had demanded Sesshomaru meet with him to discuss the engagement. Apparently he didn’t believe when Inuyasha and Kagome had told him she would be well provided for.

“Why don’t you tell us how things went today, Kagome?” Mrs. Higurashi asked her daughter.

Kagome shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not sure that you want to know, Mama.”

“Why ever not?” her mother asked, now becoming alarmed.

“Kagome-chan,” Rin admonished, “don’t scare your mother.” She turned to Mrs. Higurashi. “Everything went well. Inuyasha-otouto-sama passed his trial and was accepted as Prince of the West. He and Lord Kouga made amends. It was quite a sight to see,” she laughed.

“I’m glad for you both,” Mrs. Higurashi said, beaming at them. “What was your trial?” Souta now looked up, suddenly interested.

Kagome blushed as Inuyasha said simply, “Something important was taken from me and I had to get it back, while demonstrating the power of the Tetsusaiga.”

“And you were successful, it seems?” asked Mrs. Higurashi, not missing his meaning.

“He was great, Mama,” beamed Kagome. “Not bad for being out of practice.”

“Oi, what did I say about that, woman!” exclaimed Inuyasha. “I’m hardly out of practice!” Kagome and Rin laughed together.

“Can I see the Tetsusaiga in action sometime, Inuyasha?” asked Souta eagerly.

“I hope you never have to see it in action, kiddo,” replied Inuyasha seriously. 

"See what in action?" asked Jii-chan, coming back into the room with Sesshomaru.

"Nothing, Jii-chan," replied Kagome, blushing and lowering her eyes. Certain parts of her life with Inuyasha needed to be kept secret from her grandfather... _and that's happening more and_ more, she thought wryly.

"Are the arrangements made, my Lord?" asked Rin, changing the subject.

Sesshomaru nodded, satisfied. “The terms of the engagement have been set. The wedding will take place in April, after the miko’s graduation. The wedding will be here, with just our families, and anyone else that the miko and my brother would like to invite. But we will keep it small, with a light reception after the ceremony,” he added, looking at Kagome and Inuyasha.

Inuyasha snorted. “Keh. Who the hell would I want to invite?”

Rin giggled. “You could always ask Kouga and Ayame. That would settle everything once and for all, don’t you think?”

Kagome laughed as Inuyasha turned bright red—with anger or embarrassment, Kagome wasn’t sure. Probably both.

Sesshomaru cast a withering glare at them all and continued to speak. “This Sesshomaru will continue to train both our brother and the miko, and in return, the miko’s family will provide our brother with food and shelter. We will revisit the living arrangements after the wedding, but for now, this is acceptable.” Jii-chan nodded and hiccupped slightly, an aftereffect of drinking the ceremonial sake to seal the details of the engagement.

Inuyasha and Kagome smiled, holding hands under the table, as Mrs. Higurashi poured a small glass of sake of each of them (Souta excluded). They toasted to the prospective union and each drank.

“Now, little brother,” said Sesshomaru, “let us take a walk.” Inuyasha squeezed Kagome’s hand and followed his brother outside. Inuyasha marveled at the warm air, despite the sun fading rapidly in the sky. The pinks and yellows of the sunset reflected across the courtyard of the shrine, making the flagstones glow. He smiled; he was happy to be here. Anywhere Kagome was, it felt like home. He imagined her in the house, in her beautiful red kimono, waiting for him, craving him as much as he craved her. He felt himself growing hard at the thought.

“There is one more thing we must discuss, little brother,” Sesshomaru stated, bringing Inuyasha back from his reverie and his arousal. Sesshomaru looked at his brother with disgust as he detected Inuyasha’s charged scent. Inuyasha glared at him and crossed his arms. “And that is the issue of your mating the miko.”

Inuyasha snorted. “It’s none of your business, Sesshomaru, what Kagome and I do on our own time.”

“If you choose to mate her before the human wedding,” Sesshomaru said, “know that this Sesshomaru and our family will not object. But you also need to be aware that the miko’s family is more…”

“Uptight?” supplied Inuyasha helpfully.

“Rigid in the ways of decorum,” Sesshomaru agreed. “The old man is willing to let you remain here only because the miko needs you close by in order to feel safe. He has made it quite clear that he does not wholly approve of this match, despite our power as Lord and Prince of the West. He has very little spiritual power, and does not understand youkai ways. Your mating with the miko before the wedding will make him angry. This Sesshomaru understands the needs of inu youkai quite well,” he added, “and you and the miko are within your rights to do as you see fit. We will leave this conversation as is; perhaps you have much to discuss with your intended.”

Inuyasha nodded, fury building in his chest, but not at Sesshomaru. The old man was prejudiced, and his “traditional” perspective was killing him, and Kagome. He’d have to sit down with her and have a serious talk about what they wanted to do.

“Rin,” Sesshomaru said, watching his wife emerge from the house, “let us go. This Sesshomaru expects you at the manor at the regular time tomorrow, little brother.”

Inuyasha bowed his head. “Yes, my Lord. Good night, Onee-sama,” he said to his sister-in-law.

Rin stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re so formal, Inuyasha-otouto-sama,” she said, giggling again. “It’s a little weird, to be honest.”

Inuyasha smirked at her. “Anything for the Lord of the West.” He watched them descend the steps of the shrine and get into the waiting car. As they drove away, he turned to walk back to the shrine, stopping at Goshinboku. He looked at the tree carefully, a connection to the past he could never reclaim. Reaching out, he ran his hand over the scar on the tree, where he’d been pinned by Kikyo.

 _Kikyo_ …he sighed. He had barely thought of her for weeks. The feelings he had for her, the grief over her death…it was still so raw in some ways. But the Kikyo he mourned wasn’t the Kikyo made of clay. It was the Kikyo who’d been full of life, who had loved children, and who had, in her own way, loved him. He had never been able to properly mourn her original death at Naraku’s hands, and now, he wondered if he had ever truly loved her at all. She had wanted him to become human for her, and by the gods, he would have done it, had they not been tricked by Naraku.

He sighed and leaned against the tree. Kikyo had loved only his human side; Kagome loved all of him. She always had. She kissed him when he was a demon; she kissed him when he was a hanyou. She hadn’t kissed him yet when he was human, and it didn’t seem to bother her. Instead, Kagome worshipped his hanyou self, and she was, at the very least, unafraid of his youkai self. He smiled. Although he would always love Kikyo to some extent, it was nothing… _nothing_ …to the love he felt for Kagome. His only regret was that it had taken him so long to figure that out.

And now it was official; he and Kagome were going to be married. He was going to be her mate, her husband, the father of her children. And while he did feel sad that Kikyo would never get to experience those things, part of him knew that she most likely wouldn’t have wanted to…not as he currently was, for sure.

“Inuyasha?” came a small, tentative voice from behind him. He turned, and there was Kagome, her kimono and yukata falling open slightly, revealing the swell of her breasts, her obi slipping slightly, her legs peeking through the robe more than usual. His breath caught; she was absolutely beautiful, there in the fading sunlight. The rainbow of the dusky sky played across her dark hair, catching highlights here and there as she walked. Her face was still a little smudged from the events of the afternoon, but he liked that; he liked seeing her in action again, just as they had been for so long. Her eyes glowed like molten chocolate in the sunset. She was barefoot, padding carefully across the flagstones to him. Her smile was bright and a million miles wide. Although she’d been terrified when Ussuri kidnapped her, he knew his intended; she’d found the experience just as exhilarating as he had.

“Hey,” he said when she reached him, pulling her to his chest and burying his face in her hair. Her scent was musky with her arousal.

“Hey yourself,” she said huskily. “What are you doing out here alone? Sesshomaru and Rin left a while ago. I was getting worried.”

He smiled into her hair. “Just working through some things,” he said, lifting her face to his and kissing her lightly.

“What sort of things?” she asked. “Anything you want to talk about?”

He hesitated. “I was…thinking about Kikyo.”

“Oh.” Her voice was small, and his heart broke a little.

“I was thinking…” he said slowly, “about how she wanted me to change for her. About how she wanted me to become human…and about how you love me as I am. About how you have kissed me as a youkai and a hanyou, but never as a human, whereas for Kikyo, she only wanted to kiss me as a human.”

“Inuyasha,” she said, gripping his hand and looking him fully in the face so he could not look away, “I love you. I love you. Youkai, hanyou, human…I love all of you. No matter what.”

He smiled. “I know it.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I miss her…but I don’t miss what the future would have held for us. I don’t miss having to give up who I am for her.” He kissed her nose. “I…I want to make a life with you, Kagome. I want pups with you. I want a future with you, and only you. Not Kikyo. Never Kikyo. Please believe me.”

She smiled back. “I do believe you.” She kissed his lips fully, and he sighed into her mouth. “I want a future with you, Inuyasha. I want cute, little, dog-eared pups with you. I want to live out my life, however long that is, with you—and only you—by my side.”

“Not Kouga?” he teased her.

She laughed. “Kouga is special to me,” she replied, “and you know that. He protected me when you could not.” Inuyasha frowned, remembering why he couldn’t protect her. “He carried me on his back to Mt. Azusa. He loved me.” She paused, running her fingers over his lips. “But he is not you. You have my whole heart. You have had it from the moment I first met you, whether I wanted to admit it or not. You _are_ my heart, Inuyasha. I would die without you.”

And he kissed her full on her mouth, desperate, passionate, full of love and life and the future. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back, full of the same things, trying to show him that Kikyo didn’t matter, that Kouga didn’t matter; only the two of them mattered.

“There’s something else,” he said when they broke apart. He pulled her close again, holding her tenderly. “If we were to mate before the wedding—”

“—Which I am 100% in favor of, for the record—” she interjected.

“—Sesshomaru has given us his blessing,” he finished, smirking. “But your grandfather was apparently very clear in their conversation that he does not approve of me, nor would he approve of our mating before the wedding.”

Kagome was silent. She looked down and stroked his arm thoughtfully. “My grandfather is old,” she said finally, “and his notions of an appropriate relationship are very different from ours.”

“If we did decide to mate before the wedding, though,” he replied, “we might lose his blessing.”

Kagome turned her face up to his, and kissed him. Hard. “I love you,” she said. “I want to be with you, and I’m ready to be with you. But I’m willing to wait until what we determine is the right time. Not right now,” she added when he opened his mouth to object. “But when we say. Not anyone else. Especially not my grandfather. I’ll not have him dictating our life.” She pulled away and gripped both of Inuyasha’s hands in one of her own. “If we decide to fully mate, it’s our choice. If he can’t cope, then we will move in with Sesshomaru. I know you don’t want to do it, but I will not live somewhere where we are not free to live as we want. Didn’t you say today that we want to live our lives in freedom and peace? That’s what I want. And I want to be with you on our terms, not my grandfather’s.”

Inuyasha was overwhelmed by the determination in her eyes. He kissed her roughly, trying to pour all his emotions and passions and love into that kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss, pulling him so close that he was practically inside her skin. She ran her hands under his haori and kosode and over his chest, feeling his muscles taut with passion and tension. He buried his hands in her hair, enjoying the wafts of her scent that floated off it. They stayed like that for several minutes, enjoying the feel of each other.

“Tonight,” Kagome finally said, pulling away and holding his golden gaze with her own chocolate one. “I want to sleep with you. Naked.” She grinned. He caught the spike of her arousal and almost passed out from her heady, musky, scent.

“We’ll lock the door, wench,” he replied, looping an arm about her shoulders and guiding her back towards the house.


	12. A Letter from the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome receive a letter from the past. Fresh wounds are laid bare. Old wounds threaten to reopen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime/manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Please enjoy! <3

Weeks passed quietly. Kagome attended school regularly, and Inuyasha remained committed to his studies. Inuyasha made quick work of Hideaki’s curriculum, so they were moving on to more advanced subjects in math and science. His English and modern Japanese literacy skills were improving rapidly; he and Kagome spent thirty minutes every day, conversing only in English. It was helping them both. Inuyasha’s training also progressed quickly. After the incident with Ussuri, Sayua and Asuka upped his training sessions to involve both of them. Sayua and Hideaki often took him to the mountains for several days at a time (Asuka joining them when she wasn’t in class), where they worked on developing his youki sensory skills. They had helped him that day with Ussuri, when he was able to sense Kagome’s aura. He was working on sensing other youki and spiritual power from even farther away. He was learning to rely on all his senses, and not charge mindlessly into battle, as he had been apt to do in the past. His bond with Tetsusaiga grew even more during this time, as he also learned to use the sword’s demonic energy to grow his youki, and to sense the youki of others.

Kagome missed him desperately when he went on these trips, and often had nightmares when he was away. Souta took to spending the night with her when Inuyasha was gone; he would camp out on her floor and sleep, ready to comfort her if she had a bad dream. He saw himself as Inuyasha’s second, and conducted himself in a manner befitting that role, even at just eleven years old.

Kagome continued to do well in every subject except math, and even with Inuyasha and Hideaki tutoring her, she barely managed a B average. While she was thrilled with that score, Sesshomaru seemed to think she was capable of much more, despite her protests. She just hated math, so much. She’d rather daydream about Inuyasha doing delicious things to her body than learn about related rates.

Kyudo was another story. Kagome loved it. She loved the focus that she gained from practice; she loved the strength that was developing in her arms and core; she was even learning to love meditating. With Hideaki’s help, she was able to successfully meditate and find peace, and this was helping her technique immensely. Suzuki-sensei was impressed with her student’s quick progression.

“Much better, Higurashi-kun,” she told Kagome one day after practice. “You have a real shot at placing in both distance _and_ technique.”

Kagome flushed with pleasure. She bowed. “Thank you, Suzuki-sensei,” she said. “I have been working very hard on my form and my meditation.”

Suzuki-sensei smiled. “It shows. Keep up the good work.”

That day Kagome left school floating. She had earned an A on her history paper about priestesses in Sengoku Jidai (something she knew a little about), and she had a good feeling about her biology exam. Even math couldn’t get her down! As she skipped down the school steps, she felt a familiar youki brushing against her aura. She looked around, and saw her intended across the street, leaning against a street lamp, looking sexy as hell in his tight navy t-shirt and jeans.

“Inuyasha!” she called, waving. He glanced up and grinned at her. She crossed the street and jumped right into his arms, kissing him madly.

“Oi, wench,” he said affectionately, ruffling her hair, “careful with those legs. You’re gonna take me out.”

“As if I could,” she replied, refusing to get down.

“Am I supposed to carry you back to the shrine?” he asked her.

She nuzzled his cheek and unwound her legs from his waist. “I’ll walk,” she grumbled. “It’s been three days. How was your trip?”

Inuyasha took her backpack and slung it over his shoulder, slipping his arm about her and holding her close. “It was good,” he told her. “Could you sense my youki?”

“I could!” she replied. “You’re doing really well. We should practice trying to sense each other from a greater distance.”

“Why?” he asked, smirking. “Are you planning on getting kidnapped again?”

She swatted at him playfully. “No! But I like to know when you’re nearby. Being able to sense your youki from farther away would give me greater comfort.”

They walked back to the shrine in this way, laughing and chatting as they didn’t often do. Kagome knew it was because he had missed her, just as much as she had missed him. She was hoping to get a little alone time with him that night, so that she could show him just how much.

Hideaki and Sayua were waiting for them when they returned home. Inuyasha was surprised; he had just left them at the manor, and they had just spent three days together. What could they be doing here?

Kagome made them all tea, and they sat around the kitchen table.

“Kagome,” said Hideaki finally, “I know Inuyasha has been telling you about his training, and how he’s been working on stretching his youki.” She nodded. “We think it’s time that the two of you start working together. We want you to learn to sense each other; we want to see what your auras can do together.”

“Do you think we’re ready for that?” asked Kagome breathlessly.

“It will help strengthen your bond when you decide to mate,” Sayua replied. “Hideaki and I have trained in this manner for hundreds of years. Our bond is rock-solid. We can sense each other’s presence from half a mile away; we can feel each other’s emotions…”

“…We can finish each other’s sentences,” said Hideaki, laughing. “So what do you think? We’ll start this weekend if you like.”

“Oh, yes!” exclaimed Kagome. “We were just talking about this. That is,” she added, “if Inuyasha wants to.”

Inuyasha blushed a little. “I’m ready,” he said definitively. “If it will help me better protect Kagome, and help strengthen our bond, I’m ready.”

“Great!” Sayua rose. “We’ll see you Saturday, as usual. She headed to the door. “Coming, Hideaki?”

“In a minute, my darling,” he replied. She nodded and left. He turned to Inuyasha and Kagome. “There’s one more thing I’d like to discuss,” he said. They stared at him blankly. “My parents.”

Kagome gasped, while Inuyasha said simply, “What about them?”

Hideaki looked from Inuyasha to Kagome very slowly. “You have been here for some time now,” he replied, “and yet neither of you has asked about them.”

“What is there to ask?” said Inuyasha harshly, but not unkindly. Kagome knew him well enough to sense the emotion in his tone.

“Don’t you want to know what happened to them?” Hideaki asked. “Aren’t you at all curious?”

Inuyasha started to speak, but Kagome interrupted. “Of course we are,” she said. “But…um…how do I say this?” she twisted her hands in her lap nervously. “I don’t want to know…how they died. Or when. But I do want to know…” she hesitated, biting her lower lip. “I want to know that they were happy. That they lived their lives in relative peace. That your father was still a lecher. That your mother was still patient and kind and brutally strong.” She looked at Hideaki, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Inuyasha reached over and grasped her hands, squeezing them. She took a deep breath. “I miss them, Hideaki, more than you know. Your mother was like a sister to me. Sometimes it’s hard to look at you, and sometimes it’s an incredible comfort, because you look so much like your father. I half expect you to try and cop a feel, basically all the time.” She snorted through a quiet sob. “So if I haven’t asked about your parents, I’m sorry. The pain of losing them is still really raw for me. They were my family—you _are_ my family.” Now the tears began to roll down her cheeks in earnest. “I worry about them. Do they miss us? Are they frantically searching for us? Are they mourning us then, just as we are mourning them now?” The tears were coming harder, and Kagome had to turn away and bury herself in Inuyasha’s shirt. He put his arms around her and held her tightly, shushing her and giving Hideaki a death glare over her head. “We’ll talk about this later,” he mouthed angrily.

Hideaki’s face had turned pale. Kagome’s emotions brought back his own when his parents had died; even though it had been many years and the gaping hole in his heart had filled, it was filled with a scar that was easily rent open, like Kagome had done today. He took a deep, shuddering breath, then rose, and placed an envelope on the table. “When you are ready,” he said to the weeping miko, “the answers you seek are in his envelope. Read it when you’re ready. I will see you both Saturday; Inuyasha, until tomorrow.” Inuyasha nodded as the monk saw himself out.

“Do you want to read the letter, Kagome?” Inuyasha asked.

Kagome turned the envelope over and over in her hands. “Not yet,” she said with a long, shuddering sigh. “I’m not sure I’m ready yet. Is that okay?”

Inuyasha took the envelope out of her hands, replaced it with his own hands, and looked her full in the face. “When you are ready, koi,” he said softly, using a typical term of endearment, “I will be there with you.” Teary-eyed, Kagome smiled.


	13. Kidnapped...Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome just can't get away from bear youkai. Inuyasha uses a mobile phone! Kagome tries to get herself out of a difficult situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime/manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Please enjoy!

Kagome skipped out of the gym and down the steps. It was the last day of school before summer holidays, and that meant a whole six weeks to spend with Inuyasha. Sure, she still had kyudo practice, and two tournaments this summer, but other than that…she and Inuyasha would finally be able to spend every day together, even if it was at Sesshomaru’s. She smiled to herself. She was hoping to plan a special trip, under the guise of training…and she planned to tell Inuyasha she was ready to be his mate. She was tired of waiting, and tired of only waiting because her grandfather was a traditional old coot. And anyway, maybe once they had sex, she could finally pay attention in math...or the distraction would become even worse.

She’d given the situation a lot of thought, and felt confident that she was really, truly, and fully ready. It was beyond a lifetime commitment—hundreds, if not thousands, of years—but without Inuyasha by her side, _really_ by her side, life was hollow: an empty shell. She’d go through the motions, but she wouldn’t be alive. Not like she was with him. Besides, she’d already lost Sango, Miroku, Kaede, and Shippou—she didn’t want to lose Inuyasha, too.

The light had already largely faded from the sky as Kagome left school grounds. Although it was July, and the sun set much later, Kagome’s practice had taken much longer today, as it was the last one before summer holiday training began. Kagome knew that Inuyasha would be waiting for her across the street, and she was anxious to get to him. She wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings when she reached the street; she could only see the street lamp where she knew Inuyasha would be waiting for her. She could feel his youki from across the street, and waited for the traffic to clear before she crossed…

Suddenly, she felt arms reaching out from behind her, grasping her tightly. In a panic, she sent out her power, causing the arms who held her to howl in pain and drop her. Before she could form a barrier and run, another set of arms slapped something on her wrists, rendering her power ineffective. Another hand slapped something over her nose and mouth, forcing her to inhale.

“Fuck!” she cursed. “ _INUYASHA!!”_ she screamed before losing consciousness.

* * *

Inuyasha had been languishing against the street lamp, waiting for Kagome like always. He was bored. She was taking forever; he was sure it was past the time that she normally got out of practice. He knew it was the last day of classes for Kagome, and that she had something like six weeks off. They’d be practicing, for sure, but he was looking forward to some solid Kagome/Inuyasha time. He knew there would be at least one training trip coming up, and he knew that Kagome had something special planned, but she’d been annoyingly reticent about it all.

He smiled to himself. Since he’d had that little moment of mourning Kikyo, he’d been feeling better and better about claiming Kagome as his mate. She was strong; she was kind; she was beautiful; and she loved every inch of him. He felt the same way about her. He knew that her family wasn’t 100% on board with their matehood before the wedding, but he also knew that Kagome was ready to throw her family’s concerns aside in favor of what made them happy. And that, to him, was everything.

The air suddenly turned cold, cold for July, and Inuyasha perked up, his ears twitching. Something dark was approaching. He gripped his sword—despite Sesshomaru’s wishes, he was still carrying Tetsusaiga almost everywhere he went, although he was finally better about wearing his cloaking bracelet—and carefully took in the air around him. His youki scented out Kagome, and…her fear?

“ _INUYASHA!!!”_ he heard her scream, and then…silence.

Inuyasha roared to life. He stretched out his youki, following her aura across the street and back towards the school. He raced there, following her aura and her scent. But where he thought he’d find her, he found…nothing. Not a trace of her. The trail ended outside the gymnasium.

“Kagome!!” he bellowed, even though he knew she wasn’t there. He tried to scent her out, but couldn’t figure out which direction she’d gone. It was like everything about her had been cloaked. Inuyasha’s mind soared with rage. He’d been there—he’d been _right there_ , across the street—and still he couldn’t find her or fucking save her. So, he did the only thing he knew to do.

He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a cell phone. He used the pad of his thumb to access the main menu, and then pressed the Call button, followed by Favorites, and then pressed Sesshomaru’s name. Thank the gods Kagome had the sense to preprogram his phone.

“Sesshomaru?” said Inuyasha frantically when his brother picked up. “We have a problem. Kagome’s been kidnapped.”

* * *

“How long?” asked Sesshomaru, pacing the outside of the gymnasium.

Inuyasha looked at his phone. “About thirty minutes.” He couldn’t believe how quickly Sesshomaru had arrived on the scene. He knew his brother could travel fast, but he didn’t think that Sesshomaru cared that much about anyone, much less him or Kagome.

“What happened?” Sesshomaru asked next.

“I’m not really sure,” Inuyasha admitted, hanging his head. “I was waiting outside the school for her as usual. She was running late, and I was considering going in to get her when…she screamed my name.”

“And then?” Sesshomaru’s voice was cold.

“I ran across the street, to here. Her scent was all over, but it didn’t _go_ anywhere. She was there, and then…she’s wasn’t. The trail went cold immediately.” Inuyasha was so embarrassed to admit this to his brother, but the more honest he could be now, the quicker they would find Kagome.

Sesshomaru continued pacing. “There is dark magic at work here,” he said finally. “I have summoned Sayua and Hideaki to help us.”

As if on cue, a motorcycle roared up and screeched to a halt in front of the school campus. Hideaki and Sayua pulled off their helmets. “You called for us, Father?” Sayua said coolly.

“Yes,” said Sesshomaru, “This Sesshomaru is in need of the monk.”

Hideaki immediately bowed. “What can I do for you, my Lord?”

“The miko has been kidnapped,” Sesshomaru continued. “Her scent ends here. We cannot find the direction she has been taken.”

Hideaki read his father-in-law’s mind immediately. He walked the area outside the gymnasium carefully, as though he were listening for something. He paused a few times, and then circled back to the beginning. He kneeled, closed his eyes, and pressed his thumb and forefinger tips together, mumbling a few words. Electricity leapt from his fingers. He opened his eyes and looked at Sesshomaru and Inuyasha.

“They took her by binding her power,” Hideaki said after a moment. “We may not be able to track her. I’m sorry, Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha felt _thisclose_ to completely losing his shit. “What the fuck are we supposed to do?” he yelled. “How can we find her?”

“Take a breath, little brother,” said Sesshomaru, “and think carefully. Use your training.”

For once, Inuyasha did as he told. He took a deep breath, and allowed his youki to come to the surface. A faint trace of her aura remained, just barely perceptible to him. He could feel that Kagome had been there, that she’d been excited about something. Then, he felt her terror; she’d tried to fight them off, but it hadn’t worked. They had done something to her; bound her in some way, and knocked her out. The trail went cold…or did it? Inuyasha closed his eyes, and reached out with his youki. Kagome must be knocked out, he reasoned, or he’d be able to feel her more. But faintly…she was there. Even though they hadn’t worked on it much, their training together was paying off.

“Let’s go! Follow me!” Inuyasha roared, taking off to the east. Sesshomaru followed; Hideaki and Sayua jumped on the motorcycle. _Hang on, koi,_ Inuyasha thought desperately, _I’m coming for you._

* * *

Kagome came to consciousness before she opened her eyes. _Where am I?_ she thought to herself. _How did I get here? Where is Inuyasha??_

Still, without opening her eyes, she stretched out her aura. She felt the room around her; she felt the walls, the other people in the room, the bindings on her wrists and her ankles. She took a slow deep breath, so as to try and not give away her status. She did a quiet sweep of the room, trying to determine if she could get out. She reached out with her aura, an attempt to connect to Inuyasha. But nothing. She had no feeling of Inuyasha anywhere.

 _Fuck_ , Kagome cursed silently. _How am I going to get out of here_? _I am fucking tired of being kidnapped!_ She chuckled grimly to herself at how much Inuyasha’s foul mouth was rubbing off on her.

Slowly, deliberately, she opened her eyes. She found herself in a simple room: four walls, one door, no windows. There were two people in the room with her that she didn’t recognize.

“Shit, she’s coming around!” one of the people said to the other. “Go get the boss! Find out what we need to do next.”

Kagome heard the door open and close. When she was sure she was alone, she closed her eyes and tried to stretch out her aura, but it was like there was something blocking her power. She couldn’t reach past the room. She couldn’t reach out to Inuyasha, and she couldn’t feel him.

Instead of feeling desperate and pushing too hard, Kagome sighed, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, choosing instead to rely on what they had worked on in their trainings. It was faint, but she could detect his youki, on the edges of her mind. He must be _really_ pissed if she could feel him despite her inability to reach out to him in return. She had to get out of there; she had to get her power working.

The door opened, and Kagome closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. Heavy footsteps crossed the room, and grabbed her by the face.

“I know you’re awake, bitch,” a voice grunted. “Open your fucking eyes.”

Kagome opened her eyes, and they widened in shock. It was a black bear youkai—a huge one!—and he was peering down into her face with his pissed-off, pointed eyes. She realized with a cold shock through her flesh why she was there.

“This is revenge for Ussuri, isn’t it?” she said quietly. The bear shook her face with his paw, leaving scratches down her cheeks, and growled.

“You and that fucking half-breed killed him,” he replied. “And now, I will kill you both.”

“Inuyasha will find me and he will kill you,” she said.

“Not with your power sealed away,” he chuckled, shaking her face again. Kagome’s fear registered on her face before she could stop it. “That’s right,” he commented. “I found a dark witch who could be bribed, and she made these.” He roughly pulled up her arms and showed her the ofudas on her wrists that were holding them tied together. “They’re binding in more ways than one.”

Kagome was quiet for several minutes, the bear youkai looking her over carefully. “What are you planning to do with me?” she finally asked.

The bear tapped his clawed hand against his cheek. “The plan was to wait for the half-breed to get here, let him watch while I kill you, and then kill him,” the bear said slowly. “But I wonder if you might be more use to me alive.”

Bam! Kagome had her way out. She threw together a plan in her head fast. It could work, if she could put on a good show. “How so, kuma-sama?” she asked politely.

The bear laughed at how she addressed him. “Little miko,” he said, “your power is well-known in the youkai world. You are feared. It is only because you have the protection of the Lords of the West and the North, and the Prince of the West, that you haven’t been killed. But I wonder if I couldn’t use you to exact a bigger revenge.”

Kagome laughed. “Ussuri thought the same thing. But Inuyasha made quick work of him.”

“Only because the half-breed Prince didn’t have to worry about you,” the bear youkai pointed out. “You had your full powers. This time, you’ll have nothing. And I will make the North and the West bend to my will.”

The bear youkai ran a clawed finger along her jawbone. She looked him defiantly in the face. “Oh, little miko, when Kurokuma is through with you, you will wish you _were_ dead,” he said softly.

So _that’s_ his name! Kagome refused to let him see her fear. “Maybe so,” she said, just as softly. “Or, maybe not.” She paused, hoping she could get his attention. Now.

Kurokuma scraped his claw against her cheek, leaving a trail of blood. Kagome winced. “And just what is that supposed to mean?” he asked.

“Let me call him,” Kagome said immediately. “He’s not going to expect it. He’s going to expect to work to find me, especially if he’s figured out that you’ve cut off my power, which I’m sure he has, by now. If you let me rush him with my aura, he’ll come running and he’ll be insane with rage. And you’ll be cool, calm, and waiting for him. He’ll put up a good fight, and if you win, think of the glory you’ll gain.”

Kurokuma again gripped her face, looking at it from every angle, trying to assess her. What kind of game was she playing? Did she really think that a half-breed could defeat him, Kurokuma, the strongest bear youkai in the country? Did she really think that he needed an advantage to defeat the Prince of the West? He chuckled, his claws digging into the skin around her jawbone, causing it to bleed. Kagome kept a neutral gaze, refusing to allow her face to betray her terror.

Finally, the bear spoke. “I cannot deny that your offer is tempting,” he said thoughtfully. “You have a lot of confidence in your intended. Even in a blood rage, though, he is no match for me.” Kurokuma shook her face and looked deep into her eyes. Kagome again tried her best to keep her face neutral. “There is no guarantee that you would do as you say. You might call him, and use your power to purify us all. But I have seen the Prince of the West when he is worried about you. He is brash; he is uncalculating. You are right about that. He would surely come after you in his bloodlust, and that _would_ help me dispense of him more quickly. He’ll be caught up in his emotions more than the battle.” Kurokuma let go of her face and moved away from her. “I will keep you as a hostage, but allow you to help the half-breed find you,” he said at last. “Try anything funny, miko, and you are dead where you stand. There are others here who will not hesitate to kill you if anything happens to me.”

“Okay,” Kagome agreed. It was better than nothing. If she had her powers, she could reach Inuyasha, and when he arrived, she could make a barrier to protect them. She didn’t need to purify anyone.

The bear youkai opened the door to the room. “Let’s remove the ofudas, and replace them with ties,” he said grimly out the door, presumably to a guard. He turned back to Kagome. “Like I said: try anything stupid, and you’re dead, the half-breed is dead… and anyone he brings with him is dead.”

“I understand, Kurokuma-sama,” Kagome replied. The youkai let a tiny, haggard woman into the room. She limped across the floor to where Kagome was bound. “You wish to remove the ofudas, my Lord?” she queried in a raspy voice. Kurokuma gave a curt nod. The woman displayed frighteningly long nails—claws, really, as though she were youkai—and slashed through them with a sickening tear. The light that flashed up in response was involuntary, and Kagome fought to tamp it down. The witch leapt back in horror.

“Dammit, wench!” the bear growled. “I told you not to try anything!”

“I’m sorry!” Kagome shouted back. “It’s not like it was on purpose. You did have my power sealed, and it’s pissed off.” _Just like me_ , she thought. Slowly, she took long, deep breaths in and out, and eventually her power receded. Once she had it back under control, she released it gently in waves, sending it out past the room, out of the building, and out to where her intended was frantically following a thin trail; she could tell he was on the brink of completely losing it and letting his youki fully loose. _Inuyasha,_ she thought, _I’m here. I’m here._


	14. The Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, Hideaki, and Sayua race to find Kagome. Sayua displays her considerable power. Inuyasha loses his temper (surprise). Kagome is tired of bear guts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime/manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Thanks for reading! I'm so excited by the idea of giving Sesshomaru powerful, awesome daughters. We really get to see what Sayua is capable of in this chapter. Please enjoy!

Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, Sayua, and Hideaki were flying through the streets of Tokyo, following Kagome’s faint scent. Inuyasha kept his youki under control just enough that he could use it to try and locate Kagome’s aura. He needed to keep it together in case she managed to escape or unseal herself.

“Any stronger, little brother?” Sesshomaru asked.

“Not yet,” Inuyasha said, clearly disappointed. He stopped to allow Sayua and Hideaki to catch up on the motorcycle.

“Oi, monk,” Inuyasha called when the motorcycle pulled even with them, “do you sense anything from Kagome? Anything at all?”

Hideaki shook his head. “I’m sorry, Inuyasha, but it’s still like she’s gone.”

“Fuck!” Inuyasha swore wildly, slamming his fist into the pavement, cracking it and earning some curious looks from the humans on the street. “Keep your composure, little brother,” Sesshomaru warned in a quiet voice.

“You keep your composure, you fucker,” Inuyasha shot back, not caring that he sounded five years old. Kagome was _missing!_ Fucking again! Why didn’t they understand this?

“Use your youki, Uncle,” said Sayua. “Are you sure that you do not sense the miko?”

Inuyasha closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He sent his youki out in rippling waves, only to have it return empty back to him… _WAIT_.

Faintly, surely, he felt a twinge of Kagome’s aura. She was looking for him. She was trying to find him. Frantically, he allowed his youki to brush up against her aura, and he felt it leap forward to embrace his youki in a tidal wave and pull it along in a particular direction.

“She’s there!” Inuyasha shouted jubilantly. “By the ever-loving-gods, she is fucking there! Let’s go, you bastards!” He bellowed, and took off, the others in pursuit.

Kagome’s aura pulled Inuyasha along, through the streets and over cars and around buildings, until it came to rest outside a warehouse, because why fucking not? Of course, it would be a warehouse. Inuyasha was ready to storm inside and pull her out, over his shoulder if need be, when Sesshomaru put a hand on his arm.

“Little brother,” he said, “let us assess the situation. What can you see?”

Inuyasha looked hard at the building. “Four stories, looks like two main entrances, limited windows. No one going in or out.”

“Can you see who is inside?” Sesshomaru then asked.

“How do I do that without giving myself away?” Inuyasha responded.

“Sayua,” said Sesshomaru, ignoring the question.

“Yes, Father,” she immediately replied. Closing her eyes, Inuyasha could tell she was reaching out with her youki, but it was somehow cloaked. Fuck, how was she doing that? And when would she teach him to do that?

“There are twenty armed bear youkai inside,” Sayua said. Hideaki’s gasp was plainly audible. “The miko is…in a room towards the back of the building, on the second floor. She knows we are here. Her power has been unsealed.”

“I know that part,” growled Inuyasha, “let’s go and fucking get her already.”

“Overpowering twenty bear youkai is not an easy task, little brother,” said Sesshomaru. “Can you think of any reason as to why they would have wanted the miko?”

Inuyasha’s eyes went wide. “Ussuri.” It was a name said with some bile and disgust coming out of his mouth.

“Ussuri,” Sesshomaru agreed. “We must be careful, or the bears will take out the House of the West in almost one fell swoop.”

“Father,” said Sayua suddenly, “let Uncle and I go. We can easily overpower the bear youkai, and Uncle can retrieve his miko while I cover him.”

“This Sesshomaru will not allow you to risk your life, Sayua,” rejoined Sesshomaru.

“This Sayua does not give a shit,” replied his daughter.

“Maybe I can be of some service, too,” her mate interjected before a war broke out between the House of the West. “I’m a good fighter, and I can put up a protective barrier for a very short period of time if need be. We’ll all go in, take out the youkai in the main entry, and then I will create a barrier to hold the escape route while the two of you retrieve Kagome.”

Sesshomaru nodded. “That is acceptable. I will aid the monk in his efforts to keep the getaway clear, and will follow if you need me. This will be a good chance to show what you have learned, little brother, and you, Daughter.”

Sayua bowed. “Thank you, Father,” she said simply.

The four of them quietly crossed the street and stealthily circled the warehouse. They could tell the back entrance was more heavily guarded, presumably due to Kagome’s location. The front entrance had just two bear youkai inside the doors—even Inuyasha could sense their presence. It would be longer to get in and out, but if they could get in undetected, they’d have fewer youkai to fight along the way. Presumably.

“Let’s just go in the back and take all those fuckers out!” Inuyasha hissed. “Then it’s easy in and easy out. None of this secrecy bullshit. And besides, how long do you think we can keep ourselves hidden?” he grinned mischievously, patting the sword at his side.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. “We need the element of surprise for as long as possible, little brother. You and Sayua will not last five seconds against twenty bear youkai.”

“We will if I use Tetsusaiga,” he snapped, cracking his knuckles and flexing his claws.

“Uncle, I believe my Lord Father is correct,” said Sayua. “You cannot use Tetsusaiga until absolutely necessary. We do not wish to draw attention to ourselves, especially not in the middle of the city. The police could be called, and it would be bad news. You will have to rely on your other skills as much as possible.”

“Keh.” Whether that was an assent or a retort, no one was sure, but he did drop the matter.

They circled back around to the front, Sayua and Inuyasha in the lead. They snuck up to the doors; Sayua checked to see if they were locked. They were, so she mouthed, “On the count of three” to Inuyasha, who nodded and moved into a fighting stance, Sesshomaru and Hideaki ready behind him.

“One…two…three!” Inuyasha kicked the doors in, and the four burst into the room. The two bear youkai in the entryway looked up, apparently surprised, and Inuyasha rushed the first one, punching him soundly in the face and snapping his neck. Sayua ran her short sword through the other, gutting him and then pulling her sword up and over, in a hara-kiri-type movement. She yanked out her sword and the bear youkai slumped, his entrails spilling out.

“Good work, Uncle,” Sayua muttered.

“Good work yourself, Niece,” Inuyasha replied.

“Go quickly,” Sesshomaru said as the monk made preparations to create a barrier around the corridor entrance. “We will wait here and hold off any youkai that are drawn this way. The bears will pay for this insolence; the House of the West does not tolerate insurgence.”

“Let’s go,” Sayua said to Inuyasha.

“Be safe,” Hideaki told her. She smiled at him and blew him a kiss. “I love you, mate,” she said, and she and Inuyasha were gone.

“Do you think it’s a good idea, letting them go alone?” Hideaki asked Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru’s expression was, as usual, unreadable. “They need to prove themselves as warriors of the House of the West. Inuyasha has already demonstrated great strength, but the more he can showcase his abilities, the more fear will be struck into our enemies. And the miko is his intended; he needs to do this alone. This Sesshomaru only allowed his daughter to go because she would have torn apart heaven and all the hells to prove herself.”

Hideaki’s expression was grim. “Let’s hope we don’t need to get involved, then,” he replied. “They both need this.”

* * *

Inuyasha and Sayua crept down the hallway, looking for the staircase. They both kept their senses at high alert for any bear youkai who might be close by, but so far, nothing. This was concerning to Inuyasha; he suspected they might be alerted to their presence, and that the youkai were gathering in one place to surprise them.

“Be on the lookout,” he murmured to Sayua, barely breathing. “They might be amassing somewhere.”

Sayua gave a brief nod, and Inuyasha could tell she was sending out her youki again. “You’re right,” she whispered. “Outside the room where they’re holding the miko.”

“ _Shit_ ,” Inuyasha cursed. “Is there another way into that room?”

Sayua paused. “No,” she breathed. “There’s only one door in and out. No windows.”

“I don’t want to reach out to her,” Inuyasha whispered back. “If they sense my youki, it’s all over for us.”

"We'll get to her,” Sayua promised. “Let’s go.”

They found the entrance to the stairway. “It’s empty,” Sayua said. “They’re definitely waiting for us upstairs. They want us to find them.”

“Then fuck it, we’ll find them!” Inuyasha whispered harshly, and started up the stairs. At the pressure of his foot on the first step, a massive blast sounded, and Inuyasha and Sayua were thrown several feet back.  
  
“Fuck!” he shouted, all thoughts of quiet thrown from his mind now. “What the _fuck_ was that?”

Sayua rubbed her head; she’d hit it against the opposite wall when she was thrown. “Some kind of a bomb,” she said. “I’m sorry; I wasn’t trying to detect other barriers.”

Inuyasha crossed the hallway to where his niece was sitting and offered his hand. “You okay?” he asked.

“I’ll live,” she said shortly, still rubbing her head and allowing him to pull her up. Together, they went back into the staircase and examined the damage. The stairs had been blown completely apart.

“Stupid bear youkai, thinking this would stall us. Good thing we don’t need stairs to get where we’re going,” Inuyasha snickered. “Can you make it?” he asked Sayua.

She nodded grimly, holding tight to her sword’s hilt. “Remember, Uncle, if they weren’t sure we were here before, they know now.”

“Fuck that noise,” he snarled, using an expression he’d seen on Kagome’s television. “I don’t give a shit what they know. Let’s go get Kagome!” He crouched low, and with all the strength in his legs, sprang up, through the stairwell, to the second floor. Sayua followed suit; they both landed silently and pulled their swords out in defensive stances.

“This way,” Sayua murmured, and together they moved slowly down the dark corridor, paying close attention for both bear youkai and any traps that might have been laid. There were a series of doors littering the hallway; they turned toward each one as they passed it, waiting for bear youkai to leap out and attack them, but there was nothing.

“This is weird,” Inuyasha muttered.

“Definitely,” Sayua agreed. “They’re waiting for something.”

“Which room is she in?” he asked his niece.

Sayua paused for a moment. “There.” She pointed to a door near the end of the hall.

“Odds are most of those fucking bears are in that room,” Inuyasha growled.

“I’ll take that bet,” Sayua said, her jaw set.

“Let’s rush the room,” Inuyasha grunted, “take out as many of them as we can, get Kagome, and get the fuck out.”  
  
“I don’t think it will be that easy,” Sayua replied, a shout coming from beneath them. Her face paled. “ _Hideaki_.”

* * *

While it had been quiet once Sayua and Inuyasha took out the two bear youkai and went after Kagome, Hideaki and Sesshomaru knew that it wouldn’t stay quiet for long. Hideaki concentrated on keeping the barrier up, while Sesshomaru kept watch. When they heard the explosion engulf the stairway to the second floor, Hideaki dropped the barrier for a moment and went to rush after them. Sesshomaru stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Wait here, Son-in-Law,” he said. “Let them go. No need for the bears to expect us, too. Keep with what we are doing; don’t alter the plan.”

Hideaki sighed, “Yes, my Lord.” He went back to the door to reconstruct the barrier, but something stabbed him in the stomach. He let out a shout and crumpled to the ground, Sesshomaru whirling around to see an old woman hovering over his son-in-law’s body, a knife twisted in his gut. He immediately recognized her for what she was—a witch—and let loose his energy whip. The witch retracted the knife from Hideaki’s body and flicked away the whip in one swift moment.

“I might be old, my Lord,” she intoned, “but I’m not stupid. Come at me again, and the boy gets it.”

“He’s not a _boy_ ,” Sesshomaru rejoined, “and this Sesshomaru does not care if he ‘gets it’ or not.” Quicker than the old woman could blink, Sesshomaru had crossed the room, knocked the knife from her hand, and pressed her up against the wall by her throat, her eyes bulging from the pressure on her windpipe.

“Son-in-law,” Sesshomaru said, “will you live?”

“Today, I will,” Hideaki grumbled, putting pressure on the wound and staggering to his feet. “She missed my vital organs.”

“Excellent,” the Lord of the West murmured. “Now, old hag,” he said, turning his attention to the witch, “why don’t you tell me what you’re doing here, in a nest that stinks of bear?”

* * *

“Fuck,” Sayua cursed. “If they’ve got Hideaki, they must have my father too. He wouldn’t let anything happen to my mate.”

Inuyasha chuckled. “You sure about that, Niece? I don’t even think he’d fight to protect me if it came down to it.”

“You do yourself and my Lord Father a disservice by refusing to acknowledge the reality of your relationship,” Sayua huffed, pulling her sword from its scabbard. “Fuck it all; let’s do it your way, Uncle.”

Inuyasha smirked. “Finally, you see things my way, Niece.” He pulled out the Tetsusaiga and swung it in a wide circle. “Let’s go! _Kagome_!” he roared, “protect yourself! _Kaze no kizu!_ ” and he blew away the door and half the wall in one blast of his sword, leaping through the dust and debris into the room, Sayua following him, both surveying the damage.

The room was in shambles; there were at least ten bear youkai in the room, a good number of whom had been blasted to bits by the Tetsusaiga’s attack. Sayua peered over Inuyasha’s shoulder. “ _Fuck,_ Uncle,” she breathed.

“Look lively, Niece,” he grunted. “I don’t see Kagome.”

“I’m here,” called a familiar voice. Inuyasha and Sayua pushed through the debris to a large bookcase that had fallen over. Together, uncle and niece hefted the bookcase over, and Kagome was behind it, covered in ash and what looked like bear guts, her barrier in place. Inuyasha pulled her to him, bear guts and all, and kissed her.

“You have to stop getting kidnapped,” he said huskily.

“Don’t I know it,” she retorted, kissing him lightly and dropping her barrier. She held up her wrists and he sliced through the ties; she made to slip her arms about his neck, but Sayua suddenly leapt forward and pushed Kagome out of the way. “Don’t let that barrier down so quickly, Kagome,” she said roughly, swinging her sword around to protect her uncle and his intended.

The remaining bear youkai had pulled themselves together after Tetsusaiga’s attack and launched themselves at Kagome and her rescuers. Sayua swung her sword and screamed, “ _Mofubuki-ha_!” Inuyasha watched as shards of ice flew from her sword and impaled the bear youkai.

“Gods, Niece!” he yelled, swinging Tetsusaiga and decapitating an attacking bear, “that’s one hell of an attack!”

“Thanks,” she yelled back, kicking one bear in the face and dodging the blow of another. More bears poured into the room from the gaping hole where the wall used to be, and Inuyasha and Sayua regrouped to stand side by side, their swords gleaming. Kagome pulled back and put her barrier back up, wishing she had her bow and arrows so she could help in the battle. She could unleash her power and purify all the bears, but that would mean purifying Inuyasha and Sayua as well…something she wasn’t in a hurry to repeat.

“Ready, Niece?” Inuyasha smirked.

“You bet!” she returned, raising her sword.

“ _Mofubuki-ha_!”

“ _Kongouso-ha_!”

The two attacks from the swords unleashed a fury on the bear youkai, ripping through their bodies and fully tearing them apart. Sayua’s ice attack blistered their bodies, while Inuyasha’s adamantium shards exploded in the ice, blowing the bear bodies to bits. But a growl from behind them told Inuyasha the battle wasn’t quite over yet. He whirled around to see a large black bear coming straight for his throat.

“Inuyasha!” the bear roared. “This Kurokuma will end you!” Inuyasha barely ducked as the bear flew over his head. The bear landed on his back paws, yowling madly.

"Who the fuck is this?" Inuyasha asked Kagome, stumbling to his feet.

"Kurokuma," she breathed. "He's the one who kidnapped me."

"Sayua, stay back and guard Kagome," Inuyasha snarled. His niece quickly obeyed, her sword at the ready in case. Inuyasha glared at the bear, his jaw set and Tetsusaiga raised. "This fucker's mine."

Kurokuma clacked his claws together and leapt onto the far wall of the building. Inuyasha stood at the ready as the bear pushed off the wall and went for him again. Inuyasha ducked again and brought up his sword, the clash of metal against the bear's claws ringing throughout the room.

Again and again the bear youkai went at Inuyasha, and again and again Inuyasha dodged and tried to get a shot off. The room was small, though, and it was all he could do to parry the bear's moves. _I need to get some traction here_ , he thought desperately. _He's gonna land a blow if I can't retaliate_.

At last Inuyasha managed to strike the bear with his sword; Kurokuma was flung back against the ground and slid all the way to the opposite wall. But Inuyasha barely had a chance to catch his breath before the bear was up again, barreling towards him at an incredible rate.

Inuyasha brought his sword up, but not fast enough.

The bear plowed into his chest and swiped its claws across his throat, leaving a deep gash. Inuyasha flew across the room and crashed into the wall before sinking to the ground, leaving a deep dent in the cement. He didn’t move.

“No!” Kagome screamed, and a flash of light exploded from her; Sayua dove for cover and watched, horrified, as the light entered the giant bear youkai and tore him apart from the inside out. His face twisted in the grips of pain. His skin blew away, and then his muscle, leaving only his bones, which partially turned to ash and fell to the ground in a powdery clatter.

Sayua ran for Kagome, who had collapsed to the ground, her power completely spent. “Don’t touch me!” she hissed. “I’m still sparking!” She held up her hands, which glowed pink and were sparking pink electricity. “Please, get Inuyasha!” she said weakly. Sayua obeyed and went to check on her uncle. He had three deep gashes across his neck where the bear’s claws had torn through him; there was a lot of blood. The way he lay on the ground, she was sure he had internal injuries, as well; a few broken ribs, maybe more.

“ _Fuck_!” she cursed. “I can’t fucking carry him out of here like this!” She turned to Kagome. “You okay?”

Kagome managed a weak laugh. “As okay as I can be after being kidnapped by bear youkai…again.” She tried to stand, but her legs wouldn’t obey her.

“I’m going for help,” Sayua said. Her ears twitched suddenly. “Can you put up a barrier around yourself and Uncle? I won’t be gone long, but in case there are more of those bears wandering around…”

“No problem,” Kagome wheezed. She pulled herself together, crawled across the floor to where Inuyasha lay, and in a few seconds had created a barrier around them. Sayua rushed from the room, down the hall, and back to the entryway. There she found her father and mate; her father was crouching over the body of a shriveled woman, while Hideaki was leaning against a wall, clutching his gut.

“What the fuck is going on?” Sayua exclaimed.

“It’s good to see you too, Daughter,” said Sesshomaru dryly. “You have returned without your uncle or the miko.”

“There were a lot of bears,” Sayua said. “Uncle was gravely injured. I cannot carry him and the miko. I require help.”

Sesshomaru immediately stood. “Son-in-law, stay here,” he commanded. “Daughter, take me to them.” Sayua nodded, and swiftly led him back to the room where Inuyasha and Kagome lay, surrounded by Kagome’s barrier.

“What happened here?” Sesshomaru asked her daughter sharply.

“Uncle and I decided to fight our way in,” she said blandly. “And to use our combined power against the bear youkai. Uncle was attacked by a remaining youkai, and Kagome purified him. She has overexerted herself, and Uncle is seriously injured.”

Sesshomaru knelt beside Kagome, careful not to touch her barrier. “Miko?” he said questioningly. Kagome looked up at him, her eyes bright. “My Lord?” she asked.

Sesshomaru nodded. “Can you stand?” he asked her.

She nodded. “I’ll try,” she said, and got to her feet, wobbling slightly.

“If you drop your barrier,” Sayua suggested, “I can help you.”

Kagome did as she was told. Sayua strode forward and slung Kagome’s arm over her shoulder. “Father, please get Uncle. We must get him back to the manor as soon as possible. He has lost a lot of blood, and most likely has internal injuries.”

“Wait,” Kagome rasped. “We can’t move him with those kind of injuries!”

Sesshomaru turned to glare at her. “What would you have us do, miko?” he asked. “Can you heal him quickly enough that we will avoid the authorities, who are undoubtedly on their way?”

Kagome hung her head. “No, my Lord.”

“Then let us go. Quickly,” he repeated, hefting his brother up into his arms. In a flash, he was gone, Sayua and Kagome following as quickly as possible. When they reached the lobby, Hideaki came forward to help Sayua with Kagome. “Your father has left to take your uncle to the manor,” he told his mate. “We are to follow quickly.”

“I can go much faster on my own,” Sayua said. “My love, can you ride?”

Hideaki grunted. “I need to be checked out, but I should be able to make it back to the manor. Kagome,” he turned to the girl, whose eyes were drooping, “can you stay awake to get back to the manor? I’m afraid your work isn’t over yet.”

Kagome nodded. The three went back outside and returned to the motorcycle. Hideaki donned his helmet, and Sayua handed Kagome her own helmet to borrow. Once they were on the bike, Sayua took off, moving at a blinding speed. Hideaki brought the motorcycle roaring to life, and Kagome held tightly to his waist and they practically flew through the streets of Tokyo, back to the manor, and back to Inuyasha.


	15. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha is gravely injured. Kagome uses her powers. Mrs. Higurashi checks on her daughter and Inuyasha. Inuyasha worries about Kagome.

When they arrived at the manor, Rin greeted them at the door, pulling Kagome into a hug while clasping Hideaki by the hand.

“How is he, Rin-onee-sama?” asked Kagome.

“Sesshomaru is with him in the study,” Rin replied. “Please go see him, while I attend to my son-in-law’s injuries.”

“Okaa-sama,” said Hideaki, trying to grin and grunting instead, “I told Sayua, I’m okay.”

“Like hell you are,” said Sayua suddenly, appearing over her mother’s shoulder. “I’m going to get Asuka, and she and Mother will check you out.”

Hideaki’s face paled. “Please, not Asuka!” he said hoarsely. “I’m not her guinea pig!”

“She likes to practice her skills by patching us up,” Sayua whispered to Kagome. Come on, mate,” she said to Hideaki in a normal tone, “Asuka will meet us in our room.” Rin and Sayua each put an arm around Hideaki and half-supported, half-pushed him in the direction of the stairs.

Removing her bloodied shoes, Kagome padded down the hallway to Sesshomaru’s study. She knocked; when she heard an “Enter” from inside, she opened the door and entered the room. She gasped at what she saw.

Inuyasha was laying on a leather couch, his face terribly pale. The gashes in his neck stood out horribly against the cool tones of his skin. Kagome’s breath caught when she saw the edges of the gashes were tinged with green. His breathing was raspy and uneven. She had never seen Inuyasha look so injured, and she’d once seen Sesshomaru stick his whole arm through Inuyasha’s gut. She looked to Sesshomaru, frightened.

“The bear’s claws were tainted with some kind of poison,” Sesshomaru said quietly. “Whatever it is, it is preventing Inuyasha’s youki from healing the wounds. The wounds will continue to fester until he dies from the infection. His insides should heal sufficiently by tomorrow; he has several broken ribs and maybe a ruptured spleen. You were right; in normal circumstances, this Sesshomaru would not have moved him.”

“But I can heal him, right?” Kagome asked softly. Sesshomaru nodded. She took a deep breath and approached Inuyasha slowly. She knelt beside him, slowly caressing his cheek, alarmed that he was unresponsive and so cold.

“It is the poison,” Sesshomaru said, guessing her thoughts. “You must act quickly, miko. This Sesshomaru would prefer not to take a chance and rely on Tenseiga.”

“Right,” said Kagome. “What do I do?”

“Allow your aura and your desire to protect this one’s brother guide you,” Sesshomaru replied.

Kagome took a deep breath, and retreated back to her third eye. She concentrated, feeling a building of her power. It wasn’t as strong as usual; it felt as tired as she did. Still, she coaxed it out, showing it her memories of Inuyasha and reminding it of what she needed to do. Finally, enough of her power came to her, and she held it in her hands carefully. _Heal Inuyasha_ , she thought, stretching her arms over his beautiful, destroyed neck, eyes still closed, her power glistening over her fingertips. Slowly, she lowered her hands so that her fingers hovered just above his neck. Sesshomaru watched, fascinated, as Kagome’s power trailed off her fingertips and into Inuyasha’s neck. Sesshomaru could see it twisting around the tainted skin and muscle, lifting the poison away, replacing it with new, pinky skin. Her power then circled his neck, massaging it softly, spreading that new skin and completely healing the damage that had been done. When she at last lifted her fingers, Inuyasha’s neck was fresh, like it had just been scrubbed clean. Color returned to his cheeks.

Inuyasha opened his eyes and groaned. “Oi, why the fuck does it feel like I got hit by a truck?” He turned his golden eyes and saw Kagome, her hands still moving away from his body, her face draining of color just as it returned to his. “Kagome!” he shouted. Sesshomaru rushed forward and caught her just before she crashed to the ground.

Inuyasha tried to sit up and swore loudly at the pain. “Fuck! What the fuck happened! Sesshomaru!”

“You and Sayua rescued the miko, but you were gravely injured in the fight. This Sesshomaru brought you back here. The miko healed you. She has had a busy day, and her body has given out. She needs rest. You both do.”

“I see that getting slammed into a wall by a giant bear youkai has preserved your exquisite command of language, Uncle,” said Asuka, coming into the room.

Inuyasha’s eyes went wide as he remembered what happened. “Asuka, how is Sayua?” he asked his younger niece.

Asuka snorted. “She’s fine. That idiot monk got himself stabbed, but Mother and I have sewn him up satisfactorily. He should recover without visiting a doctor. Quite frankly, you’re all lucky to be alive. You should have let me come with you,” she added, turning to her father.

“You were in rotation, Daughter,” replied Sesshomaru. “Your studies will always come first.”

“Keh,” retorted Asuka, in an excellent impersonation of her uncle.

“This one has contacted the miko’s mother to let her know the two of you will be staying here tonight,” Sesshomaru told Inuyasha, ignoring his daughter. “We need to have a serious discussion with her about the miko’s safety.”

Inuyasha grunted. “I can take care of Kagome just fine.”

“Until she gets kidnapped again,” Sesshomaru pointed out. “Next time they could use her family as leverage, or worse. This Sesshomaru will not allow that to happen, and neither should you.”

“We need to talk to Kagome and find out happened,” Inuyasha insisted.

“In the morning,” Sesshomaru agreed. “In the meantime, Daughter, will you help your uncle to stand?”

Asuka growled—again in a manner not unlike Inuyasha—and helped her uncle to rise. Grunting, Inuyasha allowed Asuka to sling his arm across her shoulders so she could help him walk. Sesshomaru shifted Kagome in his arms, and led the way out of the study and up the stairs to a guest room that had been prepared. There, he laid Kagome gently on the futon. “Little brother,” he said to Inuyasha informally, “I trust these sleeping arrangements will be acceptable.”

Inuyasha, breathing heavily even with Asuka’s assistance, nodded. Asuka helped him lay on the futon next to Kagome. “We speak in the morning, little brother,” said Sesshomaru, “Come, Daughter.” He turned and left the room; Asuka flashed Inuyasha a smile and then followed after her father.

Laying on his back on the futon, Inuyasha grunted again and felt his middle. _One-two-three cracked ribs at least, and something’s fucked up in my gut._ He grimaced. Hopefully everything would heal in a day or so. He turned his head to face Kagome, who Sesshomaru had laid on her stomach to his right. Kagome was facing him, so he was able to take in her features. Her hair looked singed, and she was covered in scratches and bruises, as well as a fine layer of ash. The bear guts he’d observed before must have flown off her on the ride back. Inuyasha reached out with his right hand and brushed her hair back from her face; her forehead scrunched in response. Inuyasha removed his hand and tried to stretch his arms behind his head, but it fucking hurt, so he left his arms at his sides.

He would never admit this to Kagome, or Sesshomaru, but he was worried. Even without the Shikon no Tama, Kagome was like a beacon to youkai, especially powerful ones. Her purification abilities were quickly making her a commodity; youkai either wanted to kill her or use her to kill other youkai. He was sure Kagome would confirm this tomorrow, but he suspected the bear youkai wanted revenge for Ussuri, but also saw her as a way to get to both Kouga and Sesshomaru. This was becoming really fucking complicated, and he wasn’t entirely sure how to help her, except to be with her 100% of the time and kill any youkai that crossed her path, which was ideal, but also not possible. He had promised Kagome that they would live their lives in peace and quiet and on their own terms, and he would be damned if he was going to let those fuckers get in the way of that.

* * *

Mrs. Higurashi arrived at the manor mid-morning the next day. Kagome was still sleeping, but Inuyasha had recovered enough to get out of bed and greet her in the massive foyer. Mrs. Higurashi’s normally peaceful face was lined with worry, and her eyes were puffy; it was clear she hadn’t gotten much sleep.

“Inuyasha-kun,” she said, pulling her future son-in-law into a warm embrace, “how are you?”

“Better today, Mama,” he replied, inhaling her comforting scent.

“Oba-sama,” said Rin, coming into the foyer, “it is good to see you. Thank you for coming.”

“Thank you for bringing me here, my Lady,” answered Mrs. Higurashi, letting go of Inuyasha and bowing deeply.

“None of that, please,” said Rin, taking Mrs. Higurashi by the hands. “I’m sure you’d like to see your daughter?” Mrs. Higurashi nodded.

“She’s still asleep,” Inuyasha supplied. “But I bet she’d be glad to see your face first when she wakes up.”

“I’ll show you the way,” Rin said, leading Mrs. Higurashi up the stairs.

Inuyasha yawned and stretched—much better today—and padded into the kitchen. Asuka, Sayua, and Hideaki were sitting around the kotatsu in the eating area as opposed to the kitchen table. They ate a breakfast of miso soup, grilled salmon, tsukemono, eggs with furikake, and steamed rice. There was a fourth place set on the kotatsu, and Sayua gestured to Inuyasha to come join them. Inuyasha realized he was starving and sat beside Asuka, digging into the meal with fervor.

“How are you today, Uncle?” Asuka asked.

“Better, thanks,” Inuyasha replied between bites. “Oi, monk.” Hideaki looked up. “How’s your gut?”

“Also better,” Hideaki answered. “Asuka and Okaa-sama did an excellent job stitching me up. You are improving in your skills, Imouto-sama,” he told Asuka, smiling.

Asuka blushed. “Thank you, Onii-sama,” she replied.

“So let’s talk about what happened last night,” said Inuyasha.

“Not until the miko awakens, little brother,” Sesshomaru answered, coming into the kitchen and joining them at the kotatsu. “It is this Sesshomaru’s hope that she will be able to fill in some of the blanks.”

“Of which there are many, my Lord,” Hideaki added.

Sesshomaru gave his son-in-law a slight nod. “Between what this Sesshomaru learned from the witch and what the miko would have ascertained from the bear youkai, we will be able to piece together what happened, in order to keep it from happening again.”

The sight of Sesshomaru, the Lord of the West, lounging at a kotatsu with his children made Inuyasha chuckle. His brother, the great and powerful daiyoukai, was reduced to a doting father, smiling at his daughters and trading barbs with his son-in-law. _How much has changed in 500 years_ , Inuyasha thought. He considered what Sayua had told him the night before; that his perception of his brother did a “disservice to their relationship” (was how he thought she had put it). Maybe it was time to reassess; after Sesshomaru had protected Kagome inside Naraku, and all that Sesshomaru had done for them both upon their arrival in the 21st century, maybe, just maybe, it was he, Inuyasha, who was the inflexible one.

Inuyasha continued to watch the easy interactions between the family. Asuka noticed him watching them, and reached under the table to squeeze his hand, as if to say, _You’re part of this family too, Uncle_. He squeezed her hand back, and for the first time, he was grateful to be related to Sesshomaru.

* * *

Upstairs, Kagome’s eyes slowly blinked open as she heard familiar voices talking quietly. Rin and Mrs. Higurashi had been keeping vigil over Kagome for several hours; they used this time to get to know each other better. Mrs. Higurashi was astonished at Rin’s stories of how Kagome and Inuyasha battled Sesshomaru in Sengoku Jidai, and how they came together to fight and defeat Naraku. Rin told Mrs. Higurashi of how Kagome had watched out for her, as she had only been a very little girl when Kagome and Inuyasha disappeared into the Meido. After the well returned, without Inuyasha and Kagome, Sesshomaru had left Rin in the village, first under Lady Kaede’s care, and later, after Lady Kaede has passed, Miroku and Sango’s care, still visiting her often. When she was eighteen, he came back for her; they mated not long after and they had been together ever since. Mrs. Higurashi also learned that they’d had trouble conceiving, and that was why they only had two daughters. Because of the danger to Rin’s life, Sesshomaru had been hesitant to try and get pregnant again. His mate was the most important thing in the world to him, even more so than his kingdom.

“Is it like that with all youkai matings?” Mrs. Higurashi asked, wondering about Inuyasha and Kagome.

“With inu youkai, yes,” Rin replied. “Inu youkai are strong and loyal. Nothing means more to them than family.”

“That’s good to hear,” Kagome said groggily, “because my family means everything to me, too.”

“Kagome!” the women exclaimed together, and Mrs. Higurashi gently caressed her daughter’s forehead as Rin took Kagome’s hand.

“How are you feeling, darling?” Mrs. Higurashi asked.

“Like sh—Awful,” Kagome replied, catching herself so that she didn’t swear in front of her mother again.

“I’ll get Asuka so she can check you out,” Rin said, “and I’ll get Inuyasha. I’m sure he’s wearing a tread in my floors pacing.”

Kagome smiled. “Thanks. But I'd like you to stay, if you don't mind. I’ll let Inuyasha know. I'm sure he'll tell Asuka.” She reached out with her aura; it was still weak, but she could coax it out to brush up against Inuyasha’s youki. Sure enough, they soon heard him bounding up the stairs, and seconds later he burst into the room.

“You’re awake.” It was the biggest smile Kagome had ever seen on him.

“Yes,” she smiled back.

“I knew Mama would be exactly what you needed.” He said on the opposite side of the futon, clasping her other hand and kissing the inside of her palm.

“So good to see you awake, Kagome,” said a familiar voice, and Asuka stood in the doorway, her medical bag in hand. “I’m going to check you out quick, make sure you’re okay, and then my esteemed Lord father requests your presence in the study.” She looked around. “And by ‘your,’ he means ‘everyone.’”

“Come, Inuyasha-otouto-sama,” Rin said, rising and extending her hand to her brother-in-law. “Let’s allow Asuka to examine Kagome in relative peace.” He looked like he was about to object, but Rin continued. “Oba-sama is here,” she added gently. “Nothing will happen to Kagome-chan with her nearby.”

Inuyasha nodded, squeezed Kagome’s hand, and rose, following Rin out of the room. Asuka watched them go, then turned back to Kagome and her mother. “Right,” she said, opening her bag, “let’s listen to your heart first.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for continuing to read! It gives me so much joy <3


	16. To Protect and to Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lords hold a meeting re: Kagome's safety. Kagome is not pleased. Inuyasha is a baka, and everyone knows it but him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime/manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Please enjoy!

When Kagome and her mother entered Sesshomaru’s study, Kagome let out a little cry of surprise when she saw who was there; all of Sesshomaru’s family was seated around the large mahogany table, but Kouga and Lord Kashikoi were both seated there, as well.

“My Lord,” she said, bowing to Kashikoi, who dipped his head in return. She turned to Kouga and bowed. “Lord Kouga.” Kouga got to his feet, crossed the room, and gave her a fierce hug.

“You’ve gotta keep away from bears, girl,” he said roughly as Inuyasha let out a tiny growl. He released her and turned to her mother.

“And this is your lady mother?” he asked, bowing to Mrs. Higurashi.

“Yes,” she replied. “Mama, meet Kouga, Lord of the North, and Kashikoi, Lord of the South.” Mrs. Higurashi bowed to each of the Lords.

“Kagome-chan, Oba-sama, please, sit here,” said Rin, gesturing to the two empty seats between herself and Inuyasha. They sat, Kagome reaching for Inuyasha’s hand. He smiled grimly at her.

“All right, wench?” he asked her. She nodded, and he relaxed, running his thumb over the back of her hand.

Kouga took his seat to Sesshomaru’s left. Kashikoi was the first to speak. “Sesshomaru, do you mind explaining why you’ve brought us here? What happened to the miko is concerning, of course, but why must the Lord of the North and this Kashikoi be involved?”

“Permission to speak, my Lord?” Kagome asked. Sesshomaru gave a slight incline of his head. Kagome cleared her throat, gripping Inuyasha’s hand tightly.

“I was taken by a bear named Kurokuma,” she said. “Do any of you know him?”

“I do,” growled Kouga. “He’s a real fucker who feigned loyalty to Ussuri. He wanted the title of Lord of the East for himself…and probably that of Lord of the North, for that matter.”

“Yes, he claimed that I was taken to exact revenge on Inuyasha for killing Ussuri,” Kagome said, acknowledging Kouga’s statement. “But he was also definitely interested in keeping me alive to use me against the remaining Lords, especially Lord Kouga.” Kouga growled.

“You seem to have made some real enemies with those bears,” Inuyasha mused.

“I told you—they’ve been after me basically since I took over as Lord of the North.”

“Kurokuma also wanted to take down Sesshomaru,” Kagome added. “In order to get him to free me, I encouraged him to let me call Inuyasha with my aura, knowing he’d come guns blazing and be reckless in his rescue attempt.”

“What?!” came astonished voices from around the room.

“Kagome,” said Inuyasha slowly, trying to control his rage, “you do realize that was a pretty fucking stupid thing to do, right?”

“I’m alive, aren’t I?” she shot back. “I managed to convince him to remove the seal on my powers, and I was able to reach out and find you. I also purified him after he attacked you. Kurokuma is dead.”

“And he’s got friends in high places!” Inuyasha shouted, pulling his hand from hers and slamming it onto the table. “Who are gonna be gunning for you!”

“Inuyasha,” said Sesshomaru calmly, “the miko is correct. Had she not convinced the bear to release her powers, she would be dead.”

“Lord Sesshomaru is right, mu-Inuyasha,” said Kouga, still trying to not use derogatory epithets for his old rival.

“Regardless of who saved who, or who will be… ‘gunning’…for who—” Inuyasha snickered softly at Sesshomaru’s use of slang— “the matter we are here to discuss is that of the miko’s safety.” All heads swiveled to Sesshomaru; Inuyasha detected the change in Kagome’s scent, from calm to furious. She was _pissed_.

“Lord Sesshomaru,” said Kagome quietly, her aura crackling off her in waves, “why would I need protection?”

“Have you not been kidnapped by bear youkai twice, miko?” replied Sesshomaru, just as quietly. She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. He looked around the room. “The witch known as Waruimajo was hired by the bear youkai Kurokuma to create ofuda that would seal off the miko’s power, rendering her helpless in the face of capture. The witch also told this Sesshomaru that the bear youkai was not the first to approach her to create such a seal for the miko; however, he was the one who offered her the most money. This Sesshomaru ended Waruimajo, but it remains possible that other witches could reproduce these enchantments. It is obvious that the miko’s role in the death of Naraku and the destruction of the Shikon no Tama makes her a valuable commodity for all youkai. She could be used as a weapon against other youkai, and her position as the intended of the Prince of the West makes her a valuable bargaining chip against the House of the West. Her friendship with the Lord of the North also means she could be used against Lord Kouga. In fact, both Ussuri and Kurokuma desired the miko for exactly these reasons.”

“Lord Sesshomaru,” said Kagome in a louder, but still deadly quiet, voice, “I refuse to live my life in fear of being a tool for youkai political gain.”

“And this Sesshomaru admires your tenacity,” answered Sesshomaru gently. “But you cannot deny that things have changed.”

“He’s right, Kagome,” added Kouga. “It’s not just about maintaining rule over our parts of the kingdom; it’s about your safety, too.”

“For once the wolf and I agree,” said Inuyasha, not caring to use Kouga’s formal title. “I recommend that Kagome be escorted at all times of the day.”

“Bullshit,” shot Kagome furiously, forgetting her mother’s presence. “I don’t need that kind of protection.”

“And I say you do, wench,” replied Inuyasha. Everyone was shocked to see his youki crackle against her aura, each struggling for control.

“If I may,” said Mrs. Higurashi politely. All eyes shifted to her. “Inuyasha-kun already escorts Kagome to and from school every day. What if he simply met her at the gym instead of across the street?”

“Suzuki-sensei doesn’t allow observers at practice,” Kagome told her mother.

“She will have to make an allowance here,” Mrs. Higurashi responded. “I agree with the Lords and Inuyasha-kun—your safety is the most important thing, not your pride.” Kagome blushed at her mother’s words.

“You are relatively safe while at school,” Mrs. Higurashi continued. “We can also ask your teachers to alert me immediately if you are missing from class for longer than fifteen minutes without permission.” Kagome grumbled. She didn’t like the idea of her teachers keeping such a close eye on her.

“Permission to speak, my Lords?” said Hideaki suddenly.

“Proceed, Son-in-Law,” said Sesshomaru.

“Oba-sama’s ideas are excellent,” he began, looking around at them all. “What we haven’t said, though, is how we will protect Kagome-sama while she is at home.”

“I’ll take care of that, monk,” growled Inuyasha.

“Perhaps so, Inuyasha-sama,” replied Hideaki, “but I have another idea to help you.” Inuyasha grunted. Hideaki looked at Mrs. Higurashi. “With your permission, Oba-sama, I’d like to put protections around the shrine.”

“You could do that?” asked Mrs. Higurashi, surprised.

Hideaki nodded. “I’ll teach Kagome-sama to do it, too, so that she can help keep the protections in place since they will weaken over time. I can arrange it so that any youkai who wishes to harm anyone on the grounds will be unable to enter the shrine. I’ll put up the protections all around, too, so that any youkai who hope to enter from the forest will also be thwarted.”

“I think that sounds agreeable, Hideaki-san,” said Mrs. Higurashi. “Thank you.”

“In addition,” continued Hideaki, “I’d like to continue to train Kagome-sama, more frequently now that she is done with school. We can work out a schedule that takes her kyudo practices into account. I can work with her on how to overcome a sealing spell, as well as on how to make herself invisible.

“And if I may be frank," he added, "I agree with Kagome-sama. I have been responsible for her training these past few months, and she is a powerful miko who should be trusted to protect herself as much as possible. I can help her learn to do that.”

“I agree with my mate,” said Sayua. “And to add to his ideas, I move that he and I, along with my esteemed sister, be allowed to teach her to fight. She could learn to infuse her aura into short-range weapons, too.”

“I’m good with that,” said Kagome immediately.

“I’m not,” said Inuyasha in response.

“Why not?” asked Kagome, whirling around to face him.

“Have you forgotten how clumsy you are, wench?” Inuyasha challenged her. “You could impale yourself on a sword.”

“I’m so glad to know you have such faith in me, Inuyasha,” said Kagome, growing angry again. She turned away from him, her face red with fury. “Maybe I should just start to S-I-T you again,” she mumbled. Inuyasha was apoplectic.

“If we are allowed to train her, my Lords,” said Sayua, ignoring her uncle’s growls, “I promise that she will gain skills that will allow her to better protect herself.”

“I support these recommendations,” Kouga said quickly. “And, I’d like to lend the support of the North by offering a patrol that will be on stand-by at the shrine as needed.”

“This Kashikoi also supports these recommendations,” agreed Kashikoi, “and the South will also send a small patrol to work in tandem with the North.”

“How soon can we begin these protections, Son-in-Law?” asked Sesshomaru.

“Today, if my Lord prefers,” said Hideaki. Sesshomaru nodded. “Then,” he said, rising, “I’d like to ask permission to be excused, as I have to prepare for the trip to the shrine.”

“Permission to leave as well, my Lord Father,” said Sayua, “as I will need to help my mate prepare.”

“I’d like to take Oba-sama with me, if my Lord will permit it,” Hideaki added.

“This Sesshomaru then moves to conclude this meeting, if the Lords of the North and South agree,” Sesshomaru said. “The three remaining Lords have much to discuss.” Kashikoi and Kouga both nodded. “Then, you are all excused,” Sesshomaru said blandly. “Lord Kouga, please close the doors to the study once everyone has left.”

Kouga stood and bowed. “Of course, my Lord.”

Everyone stood and made to leave the room. Kouga grabbed Kagome’s attention, mouthing, “don’t leave until we talk;” she nodded and left the room without looking back at Inuyasha.

Kouga stopped Inuyasha on his way out. “You’ve really fucked up, mutt-face,” he said. “If I wasn’t mated, I’d kill you where you stand. I still might. Ayame would support it.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “What are you taking about, wolf-boy?”

Kouga barked out a laugh. “You stupid mutt,” he taunted Inuyasha. “You have no idea.”

“Lord Kouga,” called Sesshomaru, “if you are done tormenting this one’s brother, we have many items on our agenda for today.”

Kouga rolled his eyes and shoved Inuyasha out the door. “You better figure it out fast, mutt, or you’re gonna lose Kagome.” He slammed the door in Inuyasha’s face.

* * *

Inuyasha roamed the halls of the manor, fuming. _That mangy wolf! What the hell does he know about anything?_ He punched the wall, wishing it was the wolf’s face instead. The plaster cracked under the force of the blow.

“Did that make you feel better, Inuyasha-otouto-sama?” asked a voice from behind him.

Inuyasha spun around. Rin was watching him bemusedly, her arms crossed. Inuyasha immediately turned bright red in shame.

“I’m sorry about the wall,” he murmured.

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Rin replied. “Not to me, anyway.”

Inuyasha slumped against the wall and sank down, folding his arms across his chest, wishing he had his fire-rat haori to hide is hands in. “You, too?” he asked her.

Rin sank to the floor next to him, folding her knees and adjusting her kimono prettily beneath her. “Me, too, what?” she asked him kindly.

“The stupid wolf,” Inuyasha said, “told me I fucked up and I’m going to lose Kagome.”

Rin had heard the whole exchange, but chose not to disclose that. “Why would he say something like that, Inuyasha-otouto-sama?” she asked.

Inuyasha laughed humorlessly. “Hell if I know.”

Rin put a hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder comfortingly. She thought back to when she was still a child, and how Inuyasha would frequently lose his temper with Kagome. They would have terrible fights and she sit him and would storm off—now, Rin knew, it was back to this time—and he would eventually follow and they would make up. How Kagome put up with him for all those years, she didn’t know. When they’d arrived back in the present, Rin was impressed with how Inuyasha had seemed to mature overnight. Of course it couldn’t last. He was worried about Kagome, Rin knew. But she also knew that Inuyasha was incredibly possessive, and the thing he was struggling with was letting her go, even just a little.

“Does it bother you that Kagome-chan would be able to protect herself better?” she asked gently, trying not to make him fly into a rage again.

“Keh,” was the reply.

‘Wouldn’t it be a good thing, though?” she pressed, again with a quiet tone. “For her to be able to look out for herself?”

“Like she’d be able to do that, even with the monk and my nieces training her,” he said flatly.

Rin put her arm all the way around Inuyasha’s shoulders; he shrugged, but she kept it there anyway.

“I remember the great power that Kagome-chan demonstrated against Naraku,” she said. “Even though I was a little girl, I was impressed at how strong she seemed.”

“She _is_ strong,” he replied.

“So why not give her the chance to prove herself?” Rin challenged him softly. “Let her show you what she’s made of?” He didn’t answer. “She will always need you, Inuyasha-otouto,” she added, dropping some of the honorific. “She loves you; that won’t change if she can defend herself better.”

He still didn’t say anything, but buried his head in his hands. Rin rubbed his back in a maternal manner. “I’m a baka,” he said after a long while, in a low voice. Rin didn’t reply. “I am, aren’t I?” He raised his face to meet Rin’s. His golden eyes were shining; Rin could see he was trying not to cry.

“Go to her, Inuyasha-otouto,” she urged him. “Tell her how you feel.”

“Keh,” he said. “I can’t.”

“You better,” she told him, “or Lord Kouga is right. You’ll lose her, just when you’ve finally, really, found each other.”

* * *

Kagome sat in the courtyard under the sakura trees where she had first learned to make a barrier, tears streaming down her cheeks against her better judgment. _That baka!_ She fumed. _How dare he_! Kagome let out a feral scream and beat her fists into the earth, pink crackles of her aura scorching the grass where she struck it. It didn’t help the situation, but it made her feel a little better.

For the past two years, Inuyasha had done nothing but protect her. She thought back to all the times he had promised to do so; sometimes it was out of anger ( _“Shut up and let me protect you!”_ he had bellowed when they were fighting Sesshomaru for the Tetsusaiga), and sometimes it was out of what she thought was love ( _“I will protect you with my life_ ” he had so sweetly promised right before the final battle with Naraku). But he had, for the most part, always been there for her, and always come for her, like he had when she was trapped in the Shikon no Tama. She had always appreciated it, and had loved him for it, even when she wasn’t sure of his feelings for her. Her love for Inuyasha had always gotten her through everything, even if there were times she felt like she’d rather die than love him. Because even if she doubted his love for her, she had never doubted his desire to protect her.

But now that she wanted to try and protect herself, he couldn’t take it. Kagome absolutely knew why: he was afraid. He was afraid that if she could defend herself, she wouldn’t need him anymore. He was afraid that without her, he would lose purpose and meaning in his own life. She knew all of this, and she was still so angry with him she was burning holes in Rin and Sesshomaru’s courtyard. Because he couldn’t tell her these things. Instead, he had to insult her, and in front of everyone! In front of her mother! Her eyes seared with humiliation and tears.

Had nothing really changed? Was he still the insensitive baka that he’d been these past two years? She thought that he was different; she thought that he needed her, that he loved her, and that he was willing to express himself without insults or his fists. They had even talked briefly about trust! She pulled her hands out of the earth to caress the ring on her left hand. Could the man who gave her this beautiful ring…who wanted to love and mate her forever…could he also still be capable of tearing her heart apart? Kagome rested her head on her arms, weeping openly now, for what she thought she’d had, but lost, or maybe never had at all.

Inuyasha could smell her anger and her tears before he saw her. They made her easy to find, in fact; her aura was practically pulsating, meaning anyone with even a little youki could locate her. He was sure just about everyone else in the house could sense it, but they had the good sense to stay away from her, it seemed. The hallways leading to the courtyard were empty; he knew everyone was prepping for the protection spells for the shrine, but he thought at least Kagome’s mother would have rushed to comfort her. It seemed that job was his alone. And he was fucking nervous.

He found her under the sakura trees in the courtyard, curled into a ball and sobbing, the earth around her positively smoking with scorch marks. He lowered his head; he knew he had done this to her, again. He had been selfish, and hadn’t he recently told her he was going to be better about putting her needs first? He made fists in his hair and tugged it so that his silver mane flowed over his face. Fuck. The wolf had been fucking right. He didn’t know what hurt worse: that Kagome was crying because of him (again), or that the wolf knew why before Inuyasha himself did.

Inuyasha took a deep breath. If he loved her—which he claimed he did—he had to make this right. “Be a fucking man,” he whispered to himself. “Be a fucking man, and go apologize to her. Tell her what you did wrong. Be a fucking man, and own it.”

The pep talk didn’t do much to motivate him, but it did at least get his feet moving. Slowly, he crossed the courtyard to where she sat. He chose a patch of ground that wasn’t smoking and gingerly sat beside her.

“Kagome?” he said tentatively. She sobbed even harder. “Kagome? Please. Please look at me.”

She raised her head and looked him full in the face. Fuck, this was even worse. Her deep brown eyes were drowning in sadness and pain. It was almost unbearable to look into them. Normally he loved staring into her eyes, always glowing with joy and love, especially for him, even if he would never admit it. But today, it was the last place he wanted to be looking. Still, he held his own.

“I’m—I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I’m a baka. I’m so sorry.” He reached for her, but she pulled away.

“You are a baka,” she sniffed, tears still streaming down her cheeks. “You’re the worst kind of baka because you don’t even realize you’re doing it! What’s wrong with you, Inuyasha? And what’s wrong with me, that I believed you were different?” Her voice had been growing louder and louder, until it became a high-pitched wail. Inuyasha’s ears flattened against his head. He reached for her again, and this time she didn’t flinch when he touched her shoulder fearfully. She didn’t try to purify him on contact, so he was going to take that as a win and go with it.

“You’re right,” he said, still quiet. “You’re right. I am scared. That if you can defend yourself, you won’t need me. And you won’t need _us_.”

Kagome crawled closer to him and pulled him down to her level, gripping his face between her filthy, scorched hands. “I will _always_ need us,” she said hoarsely. “No matter what. _Us_ is what has been keeping me going for two years. Even when I didn’t think there would be an _us_. Was I stupid for believing in us, Inuyasha? Was I as much of a baka as you?”

He leaned forward and kissed her beautiful, fiery, teary, puffy face. “No,” he said with as much love as he could muster up in his tone. “You’re never stupid. You know I have…trouble…expressing how I feel.”

She kissed him back, looking up into his amber eyes. “I thought you were working on that.”

He smothered a chuckle. “I am, woman! But I’m not perfect. I’m not…good with words.”

“No shit,” she said, surprising him with her language. “So why don’t you try again? Here, I’ll help.” She pulled away from him and crossed her arms. “Inuyasha,” she continued, “I would like to learn to better defend myself. Hideaki, Sayua, and Asuka will train me to enhance my spiritual and fighting prowess. What do you think?”

Inuyasha struggled. He still thought this was a terrible idea, and that it had all kinds of ways to fail, but…remembering his decision to be more considerate of her needs, he took a deep breath. “I think…it’s a good idea.”

Kagome grinned. “Really?”

 _I’m going to fucking regret this, I just know it_. “Really.” He smiled back.

She threw her arms around him. Kagome was suddenly everywhere, kissing him madly: his mouth, his cheeks, his nose, his jaw, his throat. Inuyasha pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, inhaling her scent.

“I just have…one request,” he said.

“Name it,” she replied immediately.

“Let me be present as much as possible for the physical training?” he asked her. “I can help, maybe.”

“ _That’s_ your request?” she said incredulously. He nodded, hesitating. She paused. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“ _Okay._ ”

He grinned, fangs dipping out of his mouth.

“But you can’t try to protect me, or let them go easy on me, dog-boy. Got it?”

“Got it.” He paused. “Are we good? Will you still marry me and be my mate?”

Kagome pulled away and grew quiet. “Yes,” she said after a moment’s hesitation. “Yes, I will. To both. _But_ —” she added when his face lit up “—you _have to trust me_ , Inuyasha. You have to give me a little freedom. I know you’re scared for me, but you have to let me do this. Or, you have to let me at least try. And no more insults or temper tantrums. Can you do that?”

Inuyasha sat quietly for a minute. “I trust you, Kagome. And I promise—” he took both her hands in his “—I’ll do my best to not freak out. Too much.”

She laughed. “I guess that’s the best I can hope for, huh?”

He laughed and kissed her. “Let’s set our expectations low, shall we? Then you’ll be surprised when I exceed them.”

“I think Hideaki’s lessons are working,” she said sweetly, tweaking his ear. “Your vocabulary is starting to match your attitude.”


	17. No More False Pretenses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome analyze literature, and Mrs. H. and Inuyasha have a chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't know Inuyasha, or any of the anime/manga characters. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hi everyone! This is just a short chapter to connect the previous arc with the next. It's short and sweet. I'll include some notes at the end about the books that Inuyasha and Kagome are reading. Enjoy!

The trip back to the shrine that night was chaotic and elaborate. Hideaki, Sayua, and Asuka took one car, while Inuyasha, Kagome, and Mrs. Higurashi took another. Hideaki wanted to start on the protections for the shrine that evening; there was a general consensus that they not tell Jii-chan he wasn’t skilled enough to create the protections on his own.

“I’ll call for you in a bit Kagome,” Hideaki had said when they arrived. “You and Inuyasha should start on your homework. I’m not sure how long this will take.”

So the two went to their room (no longer just Kagome’s room) and pulled out their books to start studying. Kagome lounged against the headboard of her bed, reading Enchi Fumiko’s _Masks_ , while Inuyasha lay with his head in her lap, reading Soseki Natsume’s _Kokoro_ , Kagome absently rubbing his ears. Kagome had offered to read alongside Inuyasha so he’d have someone to discuss the books with, but she’d already read _Kokoro_ as part of her Japanese literature class last year, so she would just skim the sections he was reading in order to remember the narrative a little better.

Kagome was really trying to think about the connections between Enchi’s novel and _The Tale of Genji_ , but her mind kept wandering back to the conversation she’d had with Kouga before they left the manor.

_“Are you sure you’re okay with mutt-face going back to the shrine with you?” he asked._

_“It’s going to be fine, Kouga,” Kagome had replied. “Don’t worry.”_

_He crossed his arms, his sleek black ponytail flipping about as he shook his head. “Five hundred years later, and I still don’t get why you put up with his crap, Kagome. You’re too good for him.”_

_“Aren’t you a little biased, Kouga-kun?” she teased, using the name she’d called him both so many years ago and only a few months before._

_“I might have once been in love with you, Kagome,” he replied firmly, “and I might be in love with Ayame now, but I will_ always _look out for you and put your needs first. I once told you that if you got tired of the mutt, to come find me. I still mean that. If he can’t support you in the way that you need, look me up. Ayame and I are happy to give you our support and protection.”_

_And then he’d hugged her tenderly, and she’d sighed into his chest. “Thanks for your concern, Kouga,” she said. “Really. But I got this. You have to trust that I know what I’m doing.”_

_Kouga pulled away and looked her hard in the face. “Kagome. I trust you with my life. I believe you’ll do what’s best for yourself, and for all of us.”_

_I trust you with my life_ …Kagome sighed. How she had always longed to hear those words from Inuyasha, especially since she felt that way about him. It was funny how Kouga had been everything she’d ever wanted in a man—bold, passionate, and both trusting and trustworthy—but yet she’d never felt anything more for him than fondness and friendship. If there hadn’t been an Inuyasha, perhaps she would have felt differently towards Kouga, but there was an Inuyasha, and there always would be.

Yet now Inuyasha had said to her, and more than once: _I trust you_. The words she’d waited to hear, perhaps even more than another three-word phrase. She smiled to herself as she scratched around the base of each of his cute little ears, then rubbed up the sides and into the downy pinkness of the interiors. He purred and moved his head so she could get all sides properly. It was only with Inuyasha that she felt this warmth in the bottom of her belly, spreading up through her chest and out her arms. Only with Inuyasha could she feel the thrill of battle, working in tandem with him, shooting arrows as he released the power of the Tetsusaiga, their combined power almost unstoppable. And only with Inuyasha did she feel a passion that she wanted to take to the ends of the earth, both physically and emotionally.

“Oi, Kagome,” said Inuyasha suddenly. Kagome looked down at him. “Why do you think that Sensei doesn’t tell his friend about his actions towards the daughter? Why does he arrange to propose to her under…what are they called…false pretenses?”

Kagome paused and folded down the corner of the page she was reading. “I think that’s a complicated question, right?” she replied. “Sensei loves the daughter, and sees his friend as a rival for her love. He’s worried that if K proposes first, she will marry him, so he fears that he will lose his chance to marry her.”

“But why not just be upfront with K?” Inuyasha pressed.

Kagome laughed. “When have you ever been upfront about your feelings?” she teased him.

“Point taken,” Inuyasha said, his ears sagging.

“I think,” Kagome said thoughtfully, “That Sensei is afraid. He loves the daughter, and he loves K, and he worries that an open rivalry for her affections will cause him to lose them both. He’s also worried that K is going to change his life for the daughter, when K has already been disowned for his beliefs, and he doesn’t want K to go through that again. So he’s underhanded, but for intentions that he thinks are at least partially noble. It’s only later that he realizes just how underhanded he’s been.”

“And don’t you think that Sensei’s unburdening of himself to the narrator is a way for him to cleanse his soul, but also to allow someone else to continue his guilt?” Inuyasha asked. “I mean, he drags the narrator away from his father’s death bed in order to serve his own purposes. He cannot respect the narrator’s wish to remain at his father’s bedside—he just has to send this letter that will obviously cause the narrator to head straight to Tokyo.”

“That’s a great point,” Kagome replied. “So even at the end of his life, Sensei still is self-serving.”

Inuyasha snuggled back down into Kagome’s lap, purring. He put the book down, and rolled so that his face looked up to hers. She put down her own book and gently touched his face. “What is it?” she asked him.

“I—like this,” he said slowly.

“This?”

“Laying here with you, reading books. I wish you didn’t have to train even harder to protect yourself. I wish it could always be like this.”

Kagome smiled. “I like it, too. But it’s the training and the fighting and the worry that make us appreciate these moments even more.”

Inuyasha suddenly sat up and kissed her fully, his arms snaking around her back and pulling her close. “Do we have to wait until April to get married?” he asked huskily. “I’m tired of waiting.”

“Is it the marriage you want,” she answered teasingly, “or something else?”

Inuyasha fairly tackled her to the mattress, devouring her lips. “You—know—me—too—well,” he grumbled in between nips and licks.

Kagome moaned and made to pull his shirt up over his head, but a voice from outside the door made them freeze.

“Kagome? Hideaki-san says it’s time.”

Inuyasha and Kagome scrambled to pull themselves together, giggling madly. Mrs. Higurashi opened the door to find them sitting on the bed, side by side, hands folded neatly in their laps, the big grins on their faces clearly saying, _We weren’t doing anything…prove that we were!_

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. “Kagome, go help Hideaki-san, please.” Kagome got up, kissed each of Inuyasha’s ears (which made them twitch and Inuyasha growl contentedly), kissed her mother’s cheek, and ran downstairs and outside. Inuyasha made to follow her, but Mrs. Higurashi held him back.

“Inuyasha-kun,” she said kindly, “a word?”

Inuyasha sat back down on the bed, his ears flattening. This couldn’t be good.

“Inuyasha-kun,” said Mrs. Higurashi, struggling to find the right words, “can you tell me why you and Kagome haven’t been upfront with me about the danger she’s been in?”

Inuyasha frowned. “I’m sorry, Mama. In all honesty, we hadn’t really thought much about the danger until she was kidnapped this past time. Ussuri acted rashly and we thought it was a one-off thing. But now…yeah. Now she really does seem to need extra protection.”

“And may I ask why you are so against Kagome receiving additional self-defense training?”

He lowered his eyes. “Because I was afraid.”

Mrs. Higurashi looked surprised. “Afraid of what?”

“It’s—it’s stupid. We worked it out. Everything’s fine.” He crossed his arms, keeping his eyes down. He didn’t want to talk about his dumb pride anymore.

Mrs. Higurashi put a hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder, squeezing him affectionately. “Remember that I said you are like a son to me? I mean that in every sense of the word. You can always come to me with anything. No matter how ‘stupid’ it might seem.” She planted a kiss on his cheek. “Now, let’s go see if you can be of help to Kagome and the others.”

He perked up. “Yes, Mama.” Together they rose and left the room.

“By the way, Inuyasha-kun,” commented Mrs. Higurashi, her eyes twinkling, “don’t you think it’s time we get you and Kagome a bigger bed?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About Inuyasha's book: Kokoro (published 1914) by Soseki Natsume (1867-1916) is an important post-Meiji-era literary work. The narrative focuses on an un-named narrator who becomes friend with another man, whom he calls "Sensei." Although he and Sensei become close friends, Sensei has a past he refuses to talk about. When the narrator's father falls ill, Sensei requests that the narrator come to Tokyo, and the narrator at first refuses. Sensei later sends the narrator a letter divulging his secret: that he and his friend both held affections for Sensei's now-wife, but that Sensei married her without notifying his friend. The friend later takes his life. After Sensei confesses this in his letter to the narrator, he closes the letter by saying that by the time the narrator gets to Tokyo, he will be dead. The narrator leaves his father's side and heads to Tokyo via train, reading the letter. He learns that Sensei has committed suicide.
> 
> The novel is significant as it marks the transition from Meiji-era society to modern society in Japan. It's written during that time of transition, and the narrator's father's illness mirrors the illness of the Meiji emperor (his father actually follows the emperor's illness in the papers). It deals with issues of guilt and responsibility, of isolation and of the philosophical implications of one's actions. It's probably my favorite novel of this time period. (Soseki's novel Botchan is also a seminal text on morality and worth the read.)
> 
> Kagome's book: Masks (1958) by Enchi Fumiko (1905-1986) is heavily influenced by Tale of Genji. The main character is based on Lady Rukojo from Murasaki Shikibu's work. In the novel, Mieko's son is killed in an avalanche, and she desperately tries to continue her family line, by any means necessary. While she tries to find a new husband for her daughter-in-law, Yasuko, it is actually her neurologically different daughter, Harume, who becomes pregnant, and later dies after giving birth to a son. In the end, it's suggested that Mieko becomes possessed by a Noh mask. Enchi's work deals with spiritual possession and shamanism, as well as women's roles in society, and the means by which women can empower themselves in the face of an oppressive society. I enjoy this novel, but my favorite by Enchi is The Waiting Years, which takes place during the Meiji era and deals with similar theme.
> 
> (I occasionally teach Japanese literature, although I more often teach more contemporary works. ^_^ But I thought that it made more sense for Inuyasha and Kagome to study some of the seminal authors of Japanese literature.) 
> 
> Since it's Valentine's Day, I'll post the next chapter today or tomorrow! Look for some lemony goodness from our favorite hanyou and miko. Thanks for reading!


	18. A Union of Souls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sayua, Asuka, and Hideaki take Inuyasha and Kagome to the mountains to train. Inuyasha and Kagome take their relationship to the next level.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or anyone else from the anime/manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Sooo...this whole chapter is basically a lemon after the break. You are forewarned... :)

“Oi, wench, roll that window up!” Inuyasha growled, running his hands through his hair to keep it from getting tangled.

“Oh, hush,” Kagome replied jovially. “It’s too nice of a day to keep the windows up.” She grinned and grabbed his hand, running her fingertips over his claws. He relented and relaxed against the seat, flipping her hand over and drawing tiny circles in her palm with his claws in return.

Sayua and Hideaki were driving them to the family compound in the Hida Mountains, close to Omachi, to spend a few days training. Now that the whole kidnapping by youkai bears debacle was resolved, Kagome felt as though she was going to lose her mind. Inuyasha followed her _everywhere_ , and when it wasn’t him, she could sense the youki of others—wolves, mostly, although she also detected a boar here and there—keeping an eye on her from a distance. She wished that she had mastered the ability to render herself invisible, just so she could get away.

The worst part, though, had been trying to explain to Suzuki-sensei why Inuyasha had to sit in on their practices, or at least be allowed in when he arrived. Suzuki-sensei had been _incensed_.

She had marched right up to him and hissed, “And who are you?” when he let himself into the gymnasium and casually settled himself on the bleachers as the archers went through their technique. Kagome had tried not to turn and run right into the locker room at that point, timidly going through her hassetsu.

“Fujimura Yash,” he said, nodding his head. “Higurashi’s boyfriend.” They had decided he would use a nickname when talking with other humans—he didn’t love it, but he could see Kagome’s point about humans finding his name…odd.

“I’m so sorry, Fujimura-san,” she was practically spitting out each word in her efforts to maintain politeness, “but we don’t. Allow. Visitors. To. Practice.”

“I’m not a visitor,” he pointed out, “I’m Higurashi’s boyfriend.”

“You _are_ _not on the team_ ,” she replied in a deadly quiet voice. “And therefore, you do not belong here.”

“Then tell Higurashi not to get herself mugged outside the school,” he responded in just as deadly quiet a voice, his violet eyes cold in their disguise.

Suzuki-sensei’s eyes had gone wide behind her glasses, and the team stopped practicing as they strained to hear the conversation. Suzuki-sensei had whirled around, screeching, “Back to it! Higurashi-kun! Over here…now!” Kagome had come running, to see Suzuki-sensei’s bright red face and Inuyasha’s calm one.

“Is what your—friend” Suzuki-sensei couldn’t bring herself to say the word “—telling me true? Were you mugged outside of school?”

Kagome had bowed in deference. “I’m so sorry, Suzuki-sensei, but yes. The last day of classes, after we had that extended practice.”

“Her mother and I are concerned for her safety,” Inuyasha said. “I hope my presence won’t be too much of a disturbance, but I must insist on being in the school until Higurashi finishes practice.” Kagome was once again impressed with Hideaki’s curriculum; Inuyasha sounded so mature, and she was getting warm and tingly just thinking about it. Inuyasha grunted and winked at her over Suzuki-sensei’s head; she was sure he could sense the shift in her scent. She had to hold herself back from grinning, or leaping up the bleachers and tackling him, or worse.

“If these are the circumstances,” mumbled Suzuki-sensei, “then it is acceptable for now. Please, Fujimura-san, do not disrupt my practice any further. Higurashi-kun, back to it.”

“Yes, sensei,” they chorused. Kagome mouthed a “thank you” to Inuyasha before running back to her line; Inuyasha had settled back against the bleachers, hands behind his head, feet propped up on the bleacher in front of his seat, smirking madly, pissing off Suzuki-sensei even more.

Kagome had been infinitely embarrassed at the whole situation, but Inuyasha had simply taken it in stride. Now they were almost never apart, since they were training at the manor daily; the only breaks she got from his presence were kyudo practice (where he was there, but always at least several meters away from her), or when she found a few moments of respite in the bathroom. She loved him, she really did, but the phrase “absence makes the heart go fonder” had merit in this case. Inuyasha took his “protecting her with his life” mantra quite seriously.

But now, here, in the car, traveling to the mountains to train, Kagome couldn’t help but be excited at spending time with him. Because this wouldn’t be about him hounding her or following her every move; they would be equals again. Kagome would be starting her physical defense work, and they would be working together to learn how to protect each other. Partners. Equal footing. Like a marriage should be.

She blushed at that thought: _marriage_. What would it be like to married to Inuyasha? _Probably not too different from now_ , she thought, _with…some added benefits_. She turned even redder as she examined him, quietly sitting next to her in the car, still holding her hand. Had she really looked at him recently, like _really_ looked at him? His beautiful tanned face was turned to the window; molten amber eyes taking in the scenery. This was the first time they’d really had a chance to go outside the city together; Inuyasha had gone with Sesshomaru on some “dignitary trips” and he’d been to the family compound in the mountains with his nieces and Hideaki on several occasions to train. She knew he loved it there. His eyes sparkled as he watched the looming mountains in the distance growing closer, still snow-capped even though it was July. Though they had only been in 21st century Tokyo a few months, his face had taken on a hardened look, much more than the saucy mugs it wore in Sengoku Jidai. He now rarely smirked at her, or scowled; his face was more adult, more thoughtful, more reflective. He was easier to read, easier to talk with; easier to be with, in general. _Being ripped out of one’s time period could certainly have that effect_ , she thought dryly. And except for a few moments of old Inuyasha (brash, sarcastic, impetuous), his attitude reflected the change in his face. He was quieter, more apt to think before he acted, and more attentive to her and her needs. She liked the mix; she had to admit. Even if he infuriated her in those moments, she needed the old Inuyasha to show himself every once in a while, to remind her of how he had grown since April, since they destroyed the Shikon no Tama. How he was ready for marriage, to take her for a mate. Personally, she couldn’t wait for that moment to come.

“Oi, Kagome,” he said, jolting her out of her musings. She looked at him, startled.

“Did ya forget what you were gonna say?” he asked, grinning.

“What—what I was going to say?” she repeated blankly.

Inuyasha roared with laughter, causing Sayua’s ears to flatten all the way in the front seat. “You were just staring at me with your mouth hanging open,” he sighed, wiping tears from his eyes. “You were either gonna say something or you’re baka.”

Kagome snapped back to attention and smacked his arm. “I was thinking about you, baka!” she yelled. Then, she pulled her arms back to herself and turned to face her window. “I’m sorry I did,” she pouted.

Inuyasha continued to grin as she huffed and puffed some more and grew red.

“Hey,” said Sayua, gesturing out her window on the passenger side, “we’re there.”

Inuyasha and Kagome stopped bantering. Kagome leaned out her window; Inuyasha rolled his down to do the same. They were driving through what appeared to be a small fishing village on lake – “Lake Kisaki,” Hideaki told them – with small boats and pontoons littering the docks. The air smelled sweet and cool, even for July. Kagome watched as Inuyasha took a deep inhale and positively glowed with happiness. Yeah, he really loved it here.

Hideaki turned the car onto a small paved road leading away from the village, heading into the mountains. They ambled along in silence for a bit, admiring the woods and the fresh smell of pine. The road became dirt and rock after a bit, and Hideaki then took another turn, taking them off the main drag and up into the mountains. They drove along another twenty minutes or so, going deeper and deeper into the woods, when suddenly, the road opened up before them, and before them spread a massive compound. It was surrounded by one of the tall stone gates that Sesshomaru was so fond of, and when they pulled up, Sayua got out of the car, inserted a card into a slot near the gate, and they all watched as the gate rumbled open to reveal the house. Sayua got back in the car, and they rolled up to the entrance.

“This was one of my Lord Father’s original residences,” Sayua commented as they got out of the car. “It has been in the family for a thousand years.”

“Looks like it, too,” mumbled Inuyasha. Sayua shot him a Look.

Hideaki opened the trunk and they pulled out their bags. Inuyasha hefted his bag over his shoulder and took Kagome’s suitcase; she and Hideaki retrieved their duffels that held their weapons. Sayua walked up to the door and used the massive knocker; it resounded inside the building, clear and crisp in its tone. Kagome tentatively sent out her aura; she didn’t sense anyone inside.

“They should have prepared for us,” Sayua murmured tentatively.

“Did his Lordship send out the proper notifications, my dear?” asked Hideaki.

Just as Sayua was about to reach into her pocket for her cell phone, the giant door lurched open, causing them all to jump.

“Hi, you fuckers,” said Asuka, grinning, sword at her hip. “Did you think you were gonna enjoy this trip without me?”

* * *

Inuyasha was right. Unlike Sesshomaru’s manor outside of Tokyo, this “original residence” was unequipped with many of the luxuries they were used to. There were no televisions, and there was no internet; they were effectively cut off from the outside world. The rooms were large and drafty, and huge fireplaces were the main source of warmth. Kagome’s favorite room was the dining hall, with its massive pine table and seating for twelve. The fireplace there was surrounded by a slate hearth and a dark pine mantle, over which hung a portrait of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha’s father, the Inu no Taisho. Kagome had seen his grave and his bones, but had never seen his whole, vibrant visage; while Sesshomaru resembled him more in appearance, his fiery golden eyes were clearly Inuyasha’s. The table was long, and sleek, and covered in ornate candlesticks with long, thick candles in each one. Each chair around the table was intricately carved with designs featuring moons and dogs and trees: all of Lord Sesshomaru’s favorite things. Although the chairs were wood, their seats were wide and covered with lush velvet cushions; Kagome could have lounged there for hours, fire crackling away in the fireplace, thin candlelight from the table, maybe a little alone time with Inuyasha...

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much time to rest. Sayua and Asuka were hard taskmasters, and they set Inuyasha and Kagome to unloading the weapons and equipment to various parts of the manor while Hideaki saw to their rooms and to dinner. It was too late to begin training, so the sisters insisted that dinner be served immediately so everyone could get to bed early. The next day would be a long, grueling day, Kagome suspected. She was looking forward to some good sleep before that day began.

Later that night, Inuyasha and Kagome lay on their futon on their sides facing each other, naked, fingertips each touching the other’s face, doing anything but sleeping. They were smiling softly; although the compound did have electricity, they had turned the lights off in favor of the soft moonlight filtering in through the rice paper screens over their windows and the embered glow from the fire crackling in the fireplace. They hadn’t had any real alone time since they had first met and were traveling together—before they met Shippou, when it was just the two of them. Back then, Kagome felt tremendous guilt about shattering the jewel, and Inuyasha was just interested in her as a shard detector—his goal then was to become a full demon. They weren’t exactly thinking romantic thoughts.

But here, basically alone in the compound (the other rooms were miles away, it seemed), they had a chance to just revel in each other’s presence like they never had before. Inuyasha studied Kagome’s face with a gentle, yet intent, gaze. He saw her large brown eyes, warm and inviting. He could dive into them and they would wrap him up in their softness, drawing him to a sweet, soft drowning. Her eyelashes curled out and over her eyes, not terribly long, but thick like her hair. And that beautiful dark hair, almost blue-black in the moonlight and firelight, swirled around her face in soft tendrils and cascaded over her shoulders, covering her breasts. What he could see of her shoulders and her décolletage gleamed. He followed the line of her arm across the futon, up to his face; he nuzzled his cheek into her hand and purred.

How did he get so fucking lucky?

He didn’t deserve her.

And yet, here they were: she loved him, just as she always had, and now he had the sense to realize he loved her, probably for longer than he thought, but not as long as he should have. This trip was the right moment, he knew—to take her, to make her his mate. He knew now that he’d wavered too long in his feelings for her, and he knew she felt the same. This might be the only chance they had to be alone for a long time. He wanted to relish her presence, and have the time and space to worship her like she deserved.

“What do you think about being here, with me?” Inuyasha asked her.

She blinked. “What?”

He nuzzled her hand again. “Here. With me.”

She smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “You know there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” She drew his face to hers and kissed him gently.

“I know.” He sighed into her mouth.

“We’re blessed, you know,” she said, pulling back slightly and tracing his lips with her finger, running the pad over his fangs. He nipped at her playfully and she giggled. “We are blessed we found each other. In the middle of all the craziness that we lived through, and are still living through, we found each other.”

“Because. You. Were. Relentless.” Each word was accentuated by a kiss on some part of her face.

“A girl who knows what she wants,” she said huskily, her lips ghosting his jawbone.

“Fuck,” he moaned,” grasping her with both arms now and rolling her over, “thank the fucking gods you did.”

“Thank the fucking gods you finally noticed,” she smirked in a good imitation of him, twisting her hands in his hair.

“Hm,” he murmured in agreement, moving his lips over her neck and down to her collarbone.

“We shouldn’t be doing this tonight,” she protested weakly, his lips traveling down to the valley between her breasts. “We have an early start tomorrow.”

“Will…help…us…sleep…better,” he countered, nipping at the soft swell of each breast.

“Inuyasha,” she sighed, trying to protest again, but drawing him up to her for a full, heavy kiss.

“Less talking,” he growled, “more loving.”

She groaned and ran her nails down either side of his spine, burying her face in his neck. He inhaled the sweet scent of her hair, and moved his nose downward, slowly, breathing in the scent of her neck, of her breasts, of her belly, of each thigh, and finally, of the spot between her thighs. She was already moist and he quickly found her hard little nub with his tongue, closing his mouth over it and sucking. She moaned his name, fisting the sheets. He reached up with one hand to tease her nipples, the other gently sliding two fingers between her soft folds. “Inuyasha,” she moaned, and he hummed against the heat of her sex, causing her to quake.

“I said,” he repeated in a low rumbly voice that drove her insane, “no talking.” He went back to his ministrations, licking, sucking, teasing, and pumping. Kagome had never felt so much pleasure—so many different pleasures in so many places—at once. She bucked her hips in ecstasy, and he moved his hand from her breasts to hold her hips in place as he worked. She felt a tightening of her core muscles, burning down into her walls, a tension that needed to be released. She desperately wanted to guide him, but he was watching her face, his golden eyes on fire, and she didn’t dare touch him for fear he’d stop. Then he gave one final lick, a pump of his fingers, and the world exploded as she screamed and her aura crackled pink around them. She fell back onto the futon, spent, one of just the few orgasms she’d ever had, and by far the best.

Satisfied, he removed his fingers from inside her and licked him, seductively, one at a time, smiling wickedly at her as he did so. He leaned forward to kiss her, whisking away the breath she was just beginning to recover, and she could taste herself on his lips. She shivered.

“Gods, Kagome,” he purred in her ear, rubbing his body against hers, “I want you. I want you. I want you.”

“Inuyasha,” she said breathlessly. “I want you. I want you inside me. Over and over.”

He pulled back and looked deeply into her eyes. Amber met chocolate brown. “You know what that would mean.”

She took a deep breath. “I do.”

“They will know,” he said. “If we do this here, it won’t be a secret. My nieces will know. They will tell the monk.”

“I don’t care,” she replied. “I’m tired of waiting. I’ve waited too long for you. I know we’ll have forever, but I still don’t want to waste any more time waiting.” She pulled him down for a deep kiss. “You are mine, Inuyasha. I want everyone to know, and I don’t care who does.”

He moaned softly, and returned her kiss. “We’re not getting married for a while. Your family…”

“Will get used to the idea,” she said sharply. “We’ll move up the wedding. October or November. Maybe sooner.”

“You won’t have graduated.”

“What don’t you understand?” she demanded, impatient. Why did he not get it? She needed him _NOW._

“I don’t want you to regret anything,” he answered. “I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow and think we made a mistake.”

She scooted back on her elbows, away from him. “Inuyasha,” she growled. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for two years. I’m not making a mistake.”

He paused. Then, he laughed, and buried his face in her chest. 

Kagome pulled him up gently to her, and they rested for a moment, forehead to forehead. “Don’t deny me,” she whispered.

“As if I could deny you anything.” He kissed her fully, intending to grant her every wish.

She grinned, and reached down to grab him by the base of his shaft. His breath came out in a whoosh, and he panted as she worked him, up and down, rubbing the juices from the tip all over his cock. He leaned forward and captured one of her nipples in his mouth, sucking and nipping it as it became hard under his tongue. With one hand, he teased the other nipple. She cried out in pleasure and gripped him harder. He sucked in his breath and reached his other hand down between her folds. She was properly wet still from her orgasm before; it wouldn’t take much for her to be ready for him.

“ _Inuyasha_ ,” she moaned. He brought his mouth up to greet hers in a deep kiss, his tongue demanding entry. She granted it and he invaded her mouth; she rose to meet him hungrily. His fang nipped her lip and she moaned again, her scent spiking and her juices flowing, driving him mad.

“If you like that,” he hissed, “just wait until I mark you.”

“How will that go?” she asked, panting.

His gaze gripped hers. “Trust me,” he whispered. She nodded agreement, offering all her love and trust, running infinite in her eyes. He kissed her: tenderly, this time, his silver hair falling all around them to create a curtain from the world. He took her hand that still moved over his shaft, and together they guided it over her most delicate parts. She shuddered. “Are you okay?” he asked. She nodded. “Are you ready?” she asked. “I love you,” he replied.

She wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him. She knew this could hurt, and she wanted to be completely lost in him as it happened, to minimize any pain. She crushed her lips against his as he entered her.

Fuck, it did actually hurt! She gasped and he stopped. “Are you okay? ‘Gome?”

Eyes screwed shut, she nodded. “Hey,” he said softly. “Look at me.” She opened her eyes. “You have to relax. I got you.”

“It feels like my…hymen is still there,” she muttered. “I was hoping all the physical activity I’ve done would have taken care of that.”

“Your…what?” Now he was confused and started to back out.

“No!” she said. He stopped and looked at her. She took a breath. “It’s a…barrier. It shows I haven’t had sex. You have to go through fast, in one move. Don’t hesitate. I think it will hurt more.”

He nodded. “Hold onto me,” he said. “Let out your breath. We can stop if you want.”

“I don’t want to stop,” she said. “I want this. I want you. Once we get through the barrier, it should be better.”

“ _Should_?” He was starting to worry.

She kissed him again and nuzzled his cheek. “I trust you, Inuyasha,” she said huskily.

With one quick movement he backed out of her; she let loose a breath and he drove his shaft fully inside of her. She cried out: half in pain, half in pleasure. He stilled his movement to allow her to accommodate him. She felt her body stretch and grow in ways she had never experienced, muscles being worked for the first time. It wasn’t unpleasant, per se…just…uncomfortable. The look on Inuyasha’s face told her he was still concerned; she smiled and reached up to stroke one of his ears. “I’m okay,” she said, rolling her hips forward and gasping at the feeling.

“Are you sure?” he said frantically.

She laughed, just a little. “You can move, anata.”

He thrilled at her use of the term of endearment, and began to move in and out of her, slowly. She ran her hands down his spine and gripped his buttocks, their muscles tight as they moved. Awkwardly, she followed his movements, the two of them growing used to the feeling of him being inside her. She was so hot, and so tight, and so slick, Inuyasha felt as though he were ready to burst immediately. But she wanted this to be the marking; she didn’t want to wait. Neither did he. He would have to find a way to endure and make sure they reached completion together so he could properly claim her.

Kagome found that as they moved, the pain lessened and was replaced by something much more intense. She felt a quickening in her lower regions, one that she needed to have hurried along or she might die. She gripped him tighter and encircled her legs up around his waist. He found he could enter her more completely; he looked at her, surprised.

“ _Faster_ ,” she whispered.

“Wench, if I move any faster, this will be over before it starts,” he chuckled, kissing her richly.

She reached up with both hands and massaged his ears, rubbing the tips gently, moving her fingers slowly down the sides and around the base of each ear. He growled and hitched her up, one arm around her waist, hand on her ass, lifting her hips so she was half off the futon. She laughed and returned his kisses, using her lips to turn his head so she could kiss his jawline and down his neck. Inuyasha grunted and pulled her closer. They finally began to move seamlessly, their bodies thrusting together as they figured out a rhythm, their lips exploring mouths and necks and chests and shoulders and anything else they could reach. It was deep; it was passionate; it was Inuyasha and Kagome, finding their way into each other: a true union.

Inuyasha found himself both wanting to close his eyes and keep them open in the throes of the moment. They were _here_ ; they were finally joined. It was fumbling; it was awkward; it was deafening; it was explosive. He loved watching Kagome in the throes of lovemaking. Her eyes were open the entire time as she raked her gaze over him. Her hands and her lips were everywhere, consuming him. How could he have not known this was what he always wanted—no, what he always _needed?_ Her tiny grunts and pants and cries, her shaking of her hair all around her into a wild mane that rivaled his own, her love. _His love_. He wanted to adore her, forever.

Now was the time. He was close, _so close_. He reached around with his claws and tore the skin on his left shoulder, just above the clavicle. She watched his movements carefully, her breath pulsing as she strained against the feelings deep in her body. This was the moment.

“When I say, koishii,” he murmured, quickening his thrusts and bringing his face to her neck, “you know what to do.”

“I love you,” she replied, her body meeting his, allowing him to drive into her. She reached around to feel him moving, in and out of her, and used the slickness of the movement to slide her fingers over her nub, helping her own pleasure along. She groaned. The world was becoming bright and pink around her; her aura was beginning to show. “I’m close,” she whispered.

“I can see,” he said, feeling his shaft growing thick with pleasure. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

“Then, now!”

At the same moment, they sank their teeth into each other’s left shoulder, the sensation riveting them both into completion, causing them to cry out into their bites with ecstasy. As they felt their bodies clench and twist, as Kagome drew Inuyasha up and in and held him firm as he came; they drank of each other’s blood and became one.

Around them Kagome’s aura swirled, bright pink and so vibrant. Rising to meet it was Inuyasha’s youki, deep red and radiating. As the two sighed and relaxed back onto their futon, the two—aura and youki—mixed and fused, reflecting the union of their owners’ souls, merging and settling into their marks. Forever.


	19. The Mating Mark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha's nieces have a little fun at their uncle's (and aunt's!) expense. Inuyasha and Kagome discover their mating marks, and bask in the afterglow of their mating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the other characters from the anime/manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello everyone! Welcome to the post-mating world for Inuyasha and Kagome. The first section of this chapter contains a lemon and discussion of safe sex, and more antics from Inuyasha's nieces.

Sunlight peeped through the rice paper screens in the windows, beaming through in shafts to reveal the forms of a peacefully sleeping hanyou and miko, tangled in their futon sheets and in each other. Inuyasha slept on his back, left arm raised at an angle, his left hand relaxed in a loose fist, his gently snoring face turned towards his hand, ears drooping on his head. The sheets curled around his muscular body, revealing one strong leg and clawed foot hanging off the side of the futon. His right arm snaked around Kagome’s shoulders, pulling her close to him. She slept on her left side, curled into his body, her right hand resting lightly on his stomach. Their hair spilled about them, a mixture of salt and pepper, silver and black, intertwined like their souls now were.

They’d had quite a night. Apparently one side effect of mating a youkai, even a half, was a sudden, insatiable appetite for sex. They’d spent the night dozing for an hour or so, then waking up and making love, repeating this over and over, until their bodies were completely exhausted from their efforts. Each time, their youki and aura mixed more and more, bringing them closer together. If one were to spy them sleeping this morning, it would be hard to tell where one ended and the other began.

This was how Inuyasha’s nieces found them in the morning, as they crept down the hall and into the room. They planned to scare their uncle by flinging open the screens and screaming at him to wake up; Kagome’s own horror would be an added bonus. It might set him in a bad mood for the day, making training almost impossible, but it was definitely worth it. Giggling madly, the girls slowly opened the door, disguising their youki as much as they could. They each tiptoed over to one window, and gripped the screens in their hands. Sayua mouthed, “On the count of three…”

She held up her fingers. “One…two…three!”

The girls flung open the screens and bellowed, “Good morning, Uncle! Good morning Ka—”

They paused and Inuyasha and Kagome sat up, blocking their eyes from the light, Inuyasha yelling, “What the fuck!” and pulling Kagome tighter to him as she shrieked and tried to cover herself up with the bedding.

Sayua and Asuka looked at each other, stunned.

“Well,” said Asuka at last, “I guess we should say, Good morning, Auntie.”

“I told you we couldn’t keep it a secret for long,” Inuyasha told his new mate.

“Gods!” exclaimed Sayua, holding her nose. “What were you two _doing_ in here all night? It stinks like you just…”

“We did,” Inuyasha said flatly. Kagome turned three shades of red. “Now get the fuck out, little girls, before I get up and throw you out.”

“Shows the thanks we get,” Sayua muttered to her sister.

“We’re a much better alarm than the monk,” commented Asuka.

“Breakfast is ready,” Sayua said when she and her sister reached the door. “Don’t be long. And for the love of all the gods in heaven, please _take a shower_.”

“Yeah,” added Asuka, “but also, not together. That doesn’t really work.” She slammed the door behind her.

Now fully awake, Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other. Kagome was still red-faced, and her eyes were shining with something akin to horror. Inuyasha caught his breath. He _knew_ she was going to regret what they did last night…hell, what they did _all_ night.

“Are you…okay?” he asked her tentatively.

Kagome shuddered, sidling a bit away from Inuyasha. He couldn’t talk; he had to wait for her to say something first.

“I can’t believe…” she sputtered. “I can’t _believe those two!_ ” Inuyasha gaped for a moment, then smirked, grateful she hadn’t said what he thought she’d say.

“Can you believe it?” she went on. “Sneaking up on us like that, scaring the crap out of us? They’re lucky I didn’t try to purify them in my sleep! Then Sesshomaru _really_ would have killed me! What did they think they were doing? They’re definitely your family,” she ranted, rounding on him.

“Whoa, when did I get involved in this?” Inuyasha held his hands up deferentially.

That made her pause in her ranting. She suddenly smiled, then snuggled back down into his side. He growled and flipped her over; she was on her back and he hovered over her.

“Thank you…for last night,” Inuyasha whispered, kissing her lightly.

“And for the middle of the night.” He kissed her nose.

“And again for the middle of the night.” He kissed her chin.

“And for sunrise,” she added, kissing him deeply on the mouth, nibbling at his bottom lip. He opened his mouth and she thrust her tongue inside, causing him to moan as she explored, running her tongue lightly over his fangs.

When they broke apart, he rolled again onto his back, pulling her on top of him. “How do you feel?” he asked, phrasing his “regret” question in a slightly more neutral way.

Kagome yawned and stretched across his chest, ruffling her fingers through his hair and over his ears. “Fine,” she said, and kissed him.

“You’re really okay?” he asked.

She smiled. “Really.” She leaned back down into his arms, letting him wrap his arms around her, nuzzling her neck. She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly, then suddenly, realization struck her and she sat straight up, shifting off his body in one sudden move.

“Inuyasha!”

“What!” he cried, sitting up too and looking at her in a panic.

“We…we…we…”

He cringed. “We what?”

“We didn’t use protection!” she exclaimed.

“We— _what?_ ”

“We didn’t use protection!” she wailed.

Now Inuyasha was confused. “What do you mean?”

Kagome looked at him for a long moment. Then, she understood. _How to explain “protection” to someone from 500 years in the past?_

She looked at her hands, twisting them nervously. “Well, it’s…um…it’s to keep me from getting pregnant.”

“Keh,” he scoffed. “I know you’re not in heat, wench.”

“But still…” she insisted. “There’s still a chance that I could get pregnant.”

“No chance,” he shot back.

“It will make me feel better if we use protection. When we get back, I’ll go on birth control.”

“What’s that?”

_Again, how to explain?_ “A pill that I take or a device I put in my body to keep me from getting pregnant.”

“Why bother? I can tell, and you ain’t gonna get pregnant!”

_Now he’s mad. He’s going back to his slang._ “Well, there’s also the other issue…” she began tentatively.

“What issue is that?”

_Oh, boy. Really, how to say this?_ “That we could get each other sick.”

Inuyasha’s eyes boggled a little. “From doing that?”

“Yeah…” she mumbled, turning red. “We can get a disease.”

“Look, wench,” he said, “are _you_ sick down there? Because you didn’t taste sick.” He grinned wickedly and she felt herself wilting.

“No,” she said softly, “I’m not.”

“And I’m not either,” he said hotly. “So drop it.”

“But if you’ve been with other people, it’s really a good idea,” she emphasized.

“I haven’t been with anyone but you,” he said, now clearly getting agitated. “Wait, have you? Because if that Hobo or the mangy wolf tried anything…”

“No, no!” she cried. This was going all wrong.

“Look, ‘Gome,” he said, trying to calm down and taking her hands in his, “I haven’t been with anyone but you, and that’s not until these past few months. I’m fine. You’re fine. We’re healthy and consenting and fuck, we’re fucking _mated_. You know what that means, right?” She nodded, a little breathless. “So, then,” he continued, resting his forehead against hers, “What’s the problem?”

She was being crazy; she knew he was right. They were basically married. He wasn’t going to be with anyone; she wasn’t going to be with anyone. “I’m sorry,” she said at last. “It’s just that… in school we hear all about safe sex, so it kind of gets ingrained in us. But when it’s the person you love and are mated to…” she paused and kissed him, “…it’s different, I guess.”

He pulled back from her. “You guess? Fuck, Kagome, I would hope that I’m different than any other guy, right?”

“Sure, sure,” she murmured. He grunted, choosing to ignore her attempt to goad him, for once.

“So the being pupped thing is really your only concern, right?” She nodded. “Would it be so bad,” he asked slowly, tracing her stomach with his claws lightly, “to be pupped by me?”

Before last night, Kagome would have said, _absolutely!_ The thought of having a baby at seventeen or eighteen freaked her out to no end. But now that she and Inuyasha had shared such a deep level of intimacy, over and over; for them to be _mated_ now…she was feeling deep stirrings within her that she never knew existed. She desired him, yes—she’d desired him practically since they met. But now she wanted to share every part of her existence with him. And while the physical aspects of that sharing were one thing—she felt like she wanted him in her every second of every day—there were emotional aspects of sharing that she was sure they were just beginning to explore. And a pup that was half her, and half Inuyasha… she felt herself flush with the thought, and not from embarrassment. That would be the ultimate expression of their love.

“It wouldn’t be so bad,” he said softly, reading her thoughts, “would it?”

She reached up and tweaked his ears. “It wouldn’t,” she agreed. “Especially if they had cute little doggie ears like yours.”

He leapt off the futon and landed on all fours, where he proceeded to let out a loud, booming howl. She laughed and laughed. “Come here, dog boy!” she commanded. He jumped onto the futon and wrestled her to her back. He gave her cheek a long, luscious lick.

“How’s that for a ‘dog boy’?” he asked, his fangs peeking out from his lips. He looked positively feral.

“I think wolves howl louder,” she said innocently.

He growled and attacked her. She giggled as he nuzzled her thighs, her belly, her breasts, her neck, licking and nipping all the way.

“Good…good puppy,” she moaned, massaging his ears.

He grunted. “Damn right,” he said darkly, rubbing himself against her. She groaned as he slid his cock over her center, which was quickly growing wet again. As he entered her he kissed her hungrily, devouring her lips, nipping at them with his fangs. He growled again and pushed her head to the side, kissing her neck, causing her to cry out in ecstasy.

Inuyasha suddenly pulled back. “’Gome,” he said in a low tone.

Her eyes had been closed as she slowly pushed to the brink; now she opened them. “What is it?”

“Your mark,” he said breathlessly.

She couldn’t see her own, so she looked at his. “And yours…”

“A red crescent moon with a pink aura,” they said at the same time. _Could anything be more perfect?_ They looked at each other tenderly, feeling the words rather than saying them, Inuyasha still buried deep in her core, everything but themselves forgotten.

“I love you,” Kagome said.

“I love you,” Inuyasha said.

And she reached her arms around his neck to pull him close. They kissed as he resumed his thrusts, slow and loving this time, mindful of her body and how she felt underneath him; how she felt as he moved inside her. Her skin was soft, and slippery with sweat and sex. Her inner muscles were tight, and hot, and her body thrived under him, clamoring for him to do more.

But he wouldn’t.

He moved in her languidly, enjoying the moment, watching the rise and fall of her throat, and of the glow of his mark against her skin. It was almost as beautiful as her. How long had she waited for this? Two years, she’d said? He wanted her to see that every second was worth the wait. He wanted her to experience the love he felt for her in every move he made, whether it be the kisses he left on her lips and neck and ears, the strokes of his hands over her body, or the thrusts of his cock into her core.

She felt his love, and she matched it, bodies meshing and sweating and slapping together, as they sought to understand the depths of their newfound connection. They were finally mated, and they would deal with whatever came before them, together. Just like they had handled everything else.

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome finally appeared at breakfast, about an hour after his nieces had come to wake them up. They didn’t care that they were late; they didn’t care that the day’s schedule was now thrown off; they didn’t care that anyone else’s life could be impacted by their inability to keep their hands off each other.

And besides, once they entered the kitchen, everyone knew anyway.

“Jeez!” cried Asuka, wrinkling her nose. “I told you guys to take separate showers!”

“We _did_ ,” said Inuyasha testily, sitting at the kotatsu and helping himself to some fish, rice, and pickled vegetables.

“So is this just how you two will smell from now on? Because it’s gross,” she commented, drinking her tea and settling deeper into her cushion.

“She is just not used to being around a newly mated pair,” Hideaki said amiably. He smiled. “Congratulations, you two.”

Kagome’s blush turned into a smile. “Thanks, Hideaki-san. I wish your parents were here to see it.”

His smile softened. “I’m sure wherever they are, they are blessing your union.”

Inuyasha squeezed Kagome’s hand, put together a plate for her breakfast, then got up to rustle through the drawers for some chopsticks.

“Couldn’t wait one night away from your family, huh, Auntie?” teased Sayua.

“It _was_ getting hard waiting with all my family in the house, honestly,” answered Kagome, still blushing. “But it was time.”

“May we see your marks?” Hideaki asked politely, trying to not make Inuyasha throw him against a wall. Inuyasha growled as he brought chopsticks for himself and Kagome, but acquiesced, kneeling before the monk and pulling his t-shirt to the side.

“A crescent moon with a pink aura,” Hideaki observed. “Lovely.”

“Is yours the same, Auntie?” asked Sayua.

Kagome nodded and arched her neck a little, moving the strap of her tank top and bra out of the way. Sayua and Asuka took a close look, Sayua clucking over it like a mother hen.

“It’s so beautiful,” Sayua said. “Congratulations.”

“Your aura and Uncle’s youki are also so closely entwined,” added Asuka. “It’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.”

“It’s a close union,” Sayua observed. “This may alter our training plans a bit.”

“How so?” asked Kagome.

Sayua frowned. “I have some ideas, but I will have to contact my Lord Father. He may want to be here.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. That was the last thing he wanted. “It could be helpful, Inuyasha,” Kagome said softly. “He only wants to help us. You’ve got to understand that by now.”

“He’s still a bastard,” Inuyasha muttered under his breath. But he snaked an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He snagged a little rice and a piece of fish with his chopsticks and pressed them to Kagome’s lips. “Eat, wench.”

Her eyes opened in surprise, but she opened her mouth and accepted the food like a baby bird. “I can feed myself you know,” she said hotly after she chewed and swallowed.

“Keh,” was the response.

Kagome’s eyes widened and she looked to the others. Sayua shrugged. “Typical mating acts including feeding, hunting, preening, cleaning, and repeated copulation. It may or may not fade over time.”

“You don’t behave like this. Neither do your parents,” Kagome said to her.

Sayua smirked. “You don’t live at the manor, Auntie.”

Inuyasha made a sound of disgust; Kagome coughed as something went down the wrong pipe. Inuyasha pounded her back as she choked and sputtered and at last become quiet. He handed her some tea, watching her carefully as she drank.

“So what’s on the agenda for today?” he asked, continuing to feed Kagome from his plate, ignoring her grumbles of protest.

“Have plenty to eat,” Sayua said cryptically. “We’re going to be testing you."

"Yeah," added Asuka, who was smirking. "Eat up. You're going to need all your energy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for continuing to read my little story, which has evolved into something that is not-so-little anymore! If you are wondering about the length of this text, this chapter marks the beginning of the second story arc. I've planned three arcs in all, and am just about finished writing the second one. The third arc is what originally inspired this story, and I'm so excited to finally have a chance to write what I've mapped out. 
> 
> In short, I hope you will continue to read, because I have some (I think) exciting things written for the second arc, and the third arc will be surprising! Thank you all again <3


	20. The First Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome are tested in more ways than one. Inuyasha finally gets it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime/manga. Everyone else belongs to me :)
> 
> Read and enjoy <3

When Sayua said “test,” Kagome had thought maybe she’d meant, _let’s test your ability to make a barrier_ , or, _let’s test your ability to shoot arrows and see how many Inuyasha can avoid_.

She was not expecting, _let’s test your ability by making you run a fucking marathon over a mountain wearing your weapons and carrying a backpack_.

Had Kagome forgotten that just a few months before, this is basically how they lived? Traveling from place to place, carrying their weapons and their possessions on their backs? Of course not. She could walk all day long if they asked her to. She’d walk over six mountains, no problem.

But running? For this long and carrying this much? It was the gym class of her nightmares come to life.

And of course, Inuyasha was no help. He’d left her long ago, bounding through the woods like the gleeful dog he was, carrying the Tetsusaiga and a pack and cackling madly. He loved all this. This was his life. She could hear him howling in the distance. He’d run free forever if he could; it didn’t matter how much he carried or how long he traveled or over what kind of terrain. He never got too hot; he never sweat. He just existed, one with nature and able to adjust to whatever happened out here. She, on the other hand, wanted to die. She wanted to bury herself under a pile of leaves and just wait for death. It would be better than trying to finish this trail that Sayua and Asuka had set.

Meanwhile, she was right; Inuyasha _was_ loving this. He was sweeping from tree to tree, running with all he had, loving the feel of the breeze around his face and the hot sun on his scalp. He couldn’t help letting out a series of howls. He swung himself to the top of a pine tree, settling on a top branch and holding onto the trunk as he looked out over the forest, hair fixed in a long ponytail billowing out behind him, t-shirt sleeves rumpling gently. Below him, trees swayed lightly in the wind. He heard the tinkling sounds of water from a nearby stream. He heard birds calling out to each other; he heard rabbits and squirrels rustling through the brush underfoot. Inuyasha could see it all. He could feel it all.

He felt like a fucking _king._

Until he didn’t.

A small, nagging feeling at the back of his mind was telling him he’d forgotten something. What could it be? It was a glorious day; everything was right. Then, his mating mark started to burn like a motherfucker. He gripped it and collapsed on the branch, hissing in pain.

 _Kagome_.

* * *

She huffed and puffed over the next ridge, sweating profusely and swearing under her breath. Inuyasha’s presence, and their mating, had definitely reduced her filter. Her chest was tight; she might have a heart attack before sundown if she kept going. Her ponytail was stuck to the back of her neck. Her flyaways, normally so cute and curly, stuck out at every which way; she could only imagine how she looked. The forest seemed to be closing in on her, the tops of the trees lowering, pressing down. She couldn’t see the sky through the canopy. The sounds of birds and squirrels and only the gods knew what other animals were clicking and squawking and chattering around her. She closed her eyes and put her hands over her ears, trying to block everything out, taking deep breaths, trying to recenter her world as it swayed around her. Her aura crackled loudly, flashing a hot pink in her anger and despair. _Get it together, Kagome_ , she told herself, over and over.

“Oi, Kagome,” said a voice from above her. She opened her eyes to see a lithe figure leap to the ground, clawed feet lightly landing on the forest floor, as though he were half-cat, not half-dog. He had removed his cloaking bracelet and pulled his long hair back into a ponytail, giving him the appearance of a more angelic Kouga. He stretched his long arms over his head, cracking his spine one vertebrae at a time. His black t-shirt was smudged with dirt and torn in a few places. He’d rolled up the legs of his jeans, revealing bulging calves swollen from the first real work they’d experienced in weeks. Tetsusaiga swung at his hip; his pack was slung from one shoulder. His face was lined with worry for his mate’s safety and, quite frankly, given how she was standing when he found her—hands over her ears and eyes closed—her sanity. “How’s it going?”

Kagome peeled her pack from her back, chest heaving, and flung it at him. He had to react fast to catch it. “What’s wrong, mate?” he asked, confused.

“I’d be a lot better if my mate hadn’t left me to die in the woods!” she hissed. Inuyasha’s face drained of color. _Fuck._

Kagome sank to her knees and pressed her hands into the earth, which immediately began smoking under her touch. He rushed forward, dropping her pack, and came down to her level. He took her hands in his own. “Let’s not start a forest fire, koishii,” he said gently. Her hands smoked in his.

“It’s just—I hate this!” She started sobbing, sparks flying from her fingertips. His eyes widened in surprise. She ripped her hands out of his grasp. “I felt like I could handle anything they threw at us, but _running? Through the forest? Over a mountain? With a pack?”_ She sighed and slumped back into herself. “It’s too hard.”

Her eyes met his: cold. “I’m not _you._ ”

Inuyasha felt her anger sear through him, causing him to wince. She was really, really, pissed. He took a deep breath, pulled her to her feet and pulled her close. He felt her pain and frustration pulsing, both through her and through his mark. It was as though he was experiencing them himself. As though they were his feelings. He took a deep breath, trying to separate himself from Kagome’s rage and desperation.

 _I’m a baka,_ he thought. _I need to fix this. Again._ “You’re right. It’s my fault, Kagome,” he murmured into her hair. “I’m a baka. I didn’t get what they were doing here. I was so excited to be out here, I forgot about us. I forgot you. I’m sorry.”

She felt his youki trying to soothe her; it wrapped her in a cooling embrace, attempting to help her relax. Her aura chafed against it, sparking pink; he grimaced, but pushed his youki forward, still holding her close. He nuzzled her mark, licking it gently. Eventually she did relax, allowing him to take on her weight in his arms. She closed her eyes, inhaling his woodsy scent. Her aura wrapped them both, creating a barrier and protecting them from the world. He kissed the top of her head. “You’re sweaty,” he whispered.

“No shit,” she murmured back. “I feel like I could melt away in a minute. Thanks for your youki; it’s refreshing. I’m sorry I was fighting you.” She paused, and looked up at him, her barrier crackling. “What did you mean, you didn’t get what they were doing?”

He frowned, deep in thought, searching for the right words, hoping she wouldn’t purify him into next week if he was honest. “I think they wanted us to work together. They wanted me to help you. It wasn’t a competition; it’s supposed to be a collaboration.”

Now it was her turn to be surprised. _Of course_ , she thought. They were testing their mating as well as their physical abilities. They were trying to figure out how strong their bond was.

“There’s no way in the seven hells you could be expected to complete the trail they set. It’s easy for me, but I’m much, much stronger than you.” His face hardened, but not towards her. “I should have been thinking of you, not how happy I was to be outside and run free.”

She smiled softly, still pressed to his chest. “It’s okay,” she said, looking up at him. “Really,” she insisted when his brow furrowed.

“It’s really not,” he said. “I shouldn’t have left. My mark started screaming for you. I could feel everything you were feeling.”

“Which was what?”

“Like you wanted to kill someone.”

She laughed. “Like I wanted to kill _you_?”

His ears flattened. “Maybe.”

Kagome sighed. “I’m just frustrated, that’s all. I’m hardly the most athletic person in the world.”

Inuyasha snorted. “Woman, you are plenty athletic! You’re the top archer in your school. You’re strong, and you are capable. But you’re also human, and you have limits. I’m the asshole who didn’t remember that.” His eyes softened in a molten amber. “But we still have daylight. We still have time to make it to the camp. How about if I carry you?”

Kagome scoffed. “With the packs, too? Come on.”

“Didn’t I carry you, your bike, and your pack all over Japan?” He was offended she would slight his strength.

“Fine, you baka.” She rose and the barrier around them dissipated. She picked up the bags and slung them over one shoulder; her bow and quiver over the other. He held out a hand to help her onto his back. She took it, but held onto it for a moment, turning it over in her own hands.

“Hold on,” she said, “you touched me while I was freaking out and my aura was going crazy.”

“So I did,” Inuyasha replied, remembering.

“You should be purified, or at the very least, you should have burns on your hands.”

“I wasn’t thinking about your aura,” he said. “I was just thinking about getting to you.”

She paused, thinking. “Let me see your other hand.” Inuyasha held it out to her dutifully. She examined it carefully, turning it over and over. “Inuyasha,” she said, stunned, “there’s _nothing_ on your hands!”

He pulled his hands from hers, examining them himself. He looked back to her, eyes wide.

“What do you think this means?” she asked in a hushed tone.

He gestured for her to get on his back; she clambered up and he held her thighs, pulling her snug to him. “I don’t know,” he replied, “but I know who will.” He took through the woods, heading in the direction of their campsite.

* * *

The sun was fading from the sky when Inuyasha and Kagome approached their destination. It was a small meadow about halfway up the mountain range; Kagome guessed they were around 7000 or so feet up. It was just chilly enough to defy the regular July temperatures, but just warm enough that they were below the snow line. Alpine flowers dotted the landscape, but they were drawn to a small fire and three tents set up about a quarter of a mile or so away.

Inuyasha easily reached the campsite in a matter of minutes. There they found Sayua, Hideaki, Asuka, and Rin roasting hot dogs over the open fire, drinking beers. Sesshomaru sat not far away, a look of distaste on his usually passive face. When the group saw Inuyasha and Kagome drawing close, they put down their hot dogs and rose.

“You made it!” Hideaki exclaimed.

“Certainly took you long enough,” Sayua commented. “We’ve been here for _hours_.”

“Yeah,” added Asuka, “I thought that mates would be able to conquer the trail without problem.”

Kagome dropped off Inuyasha’s back and put the packs on the ground. Inuyasha growled at his nieces.

“This Sesshomaru is inclined to agree with his daughters,” Sesshomaru stated, rising now to join the group around the fire. “Your bond should have helped you get here more quickly, not hindered you. What happened, brother?”

Inuyasha settled Kagome at the fire, placing the packs by her side. “Would you like something to eat?” he asked her, ignoring Sesshomaru’s question.

She nodded. “Yes, please.”

Inuyasha looked at the others. “My mate is hungry,” he said. “What can I feed her?”

Wordlessly, Hideaki handed Inuyasha a hot dog on a stick. Inuyasha turned to Kagome, and she nodded, her eyes barely open. Inuyasha took the hot dog and stick from Hideaki. Hideaki motioned to the fire, and held his own hot dog out over the flame. Inuyasha followed suit, his ears flattened against his head.

The group sat in silence as Kagome’s hot dog cooked. When it was ready, Hideaki handed a bun to Inuyasha. He put the hot dog in the bun, and sat beside Kagome, pulling her close to him. He slowly fed her the hot dog, allowing her only small bites. Sesshomaru made an impatient noise, and Inuyasha’s glare quickly silenced him. Sayua handed Inuyasha a bottle of water; he unscrewed the top and gave Kagome little sips of water. She sighed contentedly, and so did he. Finally, she snuggled up against his side. He wrapped an arm around her, tucking her in tight. Once her breathing was regular and steady, he turned to the group.

“I was not a good mate today,” he told them. “I left her behind. I failed her. I…I can’t forgive myself.” His head hung in shame.

“What did you do, Inuyasha?” asked Sayua. “And how could you have failed as a mate?”

“I fucked up,” he said flatly. “I was caught up in my own emotions and thoughts. If it wasn’t for the mark, I probably would have forgotten all about her.” He whined slightly as Kagome stirred, reaching her arm across his chest. He kissed the top of her head. “I need to work on being better. I need to work on being there for her.”

Rin sighed. “You have failed on your first day, Inuyasha-otou-sama,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean you will continue to fail in the coming days.” Inuyasha looked up at her, eyes shining. She smiled encouragingly. “It took your brother a few weeks to really get used to being mated. We were all over the place with our emotions _and_ our actions.”

Inuyasha snorted. He had a hard time imagining the Lord of the West being “all over the place” with anything.

“Take what happened today as an important lesson in being mated,” Sesshomaru said, frowning slightly at his mate. “What did you learn?”

Inuyasha thought for a moment, his fingers absently running through Kagome’s hair. “That I can’t be too far from her, or I’ll feel her absence. That I can feel her pain, her sorrow, and I would assume, her joy…all through the mark. And that she can’t purify me anymore.”

There was a gasp from around the room at the last comment. “What do you mean, she can’t purify you anymore?” Sayua said.

“She was freaked out in the forest,” Inuyasha said. “She was sparking and her aura was going crazy. I grabbed her hands; I should have been purified, or at the very least, burned. But I wasn’t. I was _fine_. She can’t hurt me. At least,” he added, “I don’t think so.”

The four exchanged glances. “That is an…interesting development, little brother,” Sesshomaru said at last. “Perhaps today was not a waste, after all.”

“Inuyasha.” Kagome was moving against him.  
  
“Yes?”

“I’m tired.”

“Where I can put her down?” Inuyasha asked.

Asuka motioned to the tent behind her. “The last tent on the left is yours. Please put her there.”

“Great; thank you, Niece.” Inuyasha lifted Kagome into his arms and took her to their tent. The others watched as he slipped inside the tent; they heard him tucking Kagome into the sleeping bag, and then saw him quietly come back out, zipping the entryway closed. He rejoined the group.

“Now,” he said, “why don’t you tell me why today was not a waste, Sess?”

Sesshomaru and Hideaki exchanged glances. “Inuyasha,” said Hideaki tentatively, “one of the reasons we are here is to study the impact of your mating with Kagome on both of your abilities.”

“I kind of figured that out,” Inuyasha said dryly. “Why don’t you tell me what _you_ learned today?”

“Besides the fact that you are still a baka?” Sesshomaru replied blandly. Inuyasha resisted the urge to either stick out his tongue or bash his brother’s face in, choosing to meet his gaze instead. Sesshomaru sighed. “We learned that you can indeed sense your mate’s feelings, and that your instinct to protect her is strong, even if you yourself are misguided.”

“And the connection between you two is so strong that Kagome’s power doesn’t seem to affect you,” Hideaki said thoughtfully. “With your permission, Inuyasha, I’d like to test that further tomorrow.”

“Keh,” he replied. “Do what you gotta do. I’m turning in.” He nodded briefly to everyone, then joined Kagome in the tent.

“He’s not himself,” Rin said softly. Everyone turned to her. Her hand rested on her cheek; she looking impossibly young as she thoughtfully gazed into the fire.

“What do you mean, Mother?” asked Asuka.

“This connection he is forging with Kagome…it is changing him,” she continued. “He is struggling with the desire to stay who he is, and the desire to acquiesce to Kagome-chan’s needs as her mate. He is used to her giving things up for him, but not the other way around.” She sat up straight and looked at her mate and her children. “If you are going to challenge their bond tomorrow, that’s what you need to target,” she added. “He needs to end the war within himself. Only that will help his power grow.”

“My Lady, I believe you are right,” said Hideaki. “I sense great turmoil in Inuyasha’s mind. The training needs to address not only their physical bond, but their emotional one, too. And, it needs to address Inuyasha’s feelings about the mating. If this training is going to really, truly, work, we need them both on the same page.”

* * *

As per usual, Inuyasha couldn’t sleep. He needed very little sleep, sure, and he often watched over Kagome to make sure her rest was peaceful. But tonight, his sleeplessness had nothing to do with his ability to survive on less sleep, and everything to do with his mating Kagome.

It was confusing. He loved her, like really _loved_ her. Even now, he was propped up on one elbow on his side, watching her chest rise and fall with each breath, watching her eyelashes move softly, watching her cheeks pink up as she grew warm in the sleeping bag. She was so beautiful he practically couldn’t breathe. She was warm, kind, loyal, powerful, and she accepted every part of him, no questions asked. She was perfection manifested.

But when he thought about what happened that day, he felt…unsure of their mating.

If truth were to be told, he knew it was wrong to leave her behind. He knew it was a mistake. He knew she’d be royally pissed. But part of him just didn’t care. He wanted to be free; it was like he was chafing against the bonds that pulled them together. He wanted to see how far he could push them before they yanked him back to her, like an elastic pulled too tight. He wanted to push the boundaries of their mating, so he could see what his limitations were, and to figure out how he was going to work within those limitations.

From the moment he’d woken up that morning, Inuyasha felt like he couldn’t be without her. He had to be touching her, at all times, or she had to be within an arm’s reach, so he could touch her if he needed. The feel of her against him, close to him, was suddenly something he couldn’t live without. It both excited and terrified him. All his life, he’d never needed anyone—not since his mother, anyway—and he now found himself _needing_ Kagome in the most desperate of ways, and it scared him. To feel like he couldn’t live without someone—physically, emotionally, and spiritually could not fucking live without _her_ , without Kagome—was…a lot.

Kagome sighed in her sleep and turned towards him. “Inuyasha,” she murmured, reaching out for him. She knew he was there, even in her sleep. He smiled, caressing her cheek and feeling a little flutter in his chest when she nuzzled into his hand. His youki soared with satisfaction. _Yes,_ it hissed. _She is OURS_. She made him feel like the biggest fucking man in the world, like he wanted nothing more than to feed her and protect her and love her and mate her, every day, all the time, for the rest of their (very long) lives. His human side, though, felt more conflicted. Was he really ready to love her forever? Would he love her as much in 500 years as he did now?

“You should allow your youki to take the lead on this, little brother,” said a voice outside the tent. Inuyasha unzipped the entry and poked his head out to see Sesshomaru, his silver hair tied back at the nape of his neck, wearing jeans and a puffer vest ( _what?_ ), standing outside the tent, arms crossed, looking down at Inuyasha scornfully.

“What the fuck are you still doing here?” Inuyasha hissed, leaving the tent quickly and rezipping the entry so as not to allow in any cold.

“Come with me,” Sesshomaru replied, leading the way back to the fire. Inuyasha followed tentatively. The brothers settled around the fire, which was still burning brightly. Sesshomaru offered Inuyasha a glass. “Whiskey.” Inuyasha accepted it and took a sip. It burned worse than Kagome’s power, but it cleared his head a little.

“Now,” said Sesshomaru, swirling his whiskey around in the glass, “how does it feel to finally be mated to your miko?”

Inuyasha hesitated. “My youki is fucking thrilled. It keeps saying shit like, ‘she is ours,’ and trying to feed her and touch her all the time. It wants to prove my manhood to her, over and over.”

“What about the rest of you?”

“My human side loves her, yes, but it also wonders if this whole ‘forever’ thing is really such a good idea. And if she really was ready to mate.”

Sesshomaru took a sip of his whiskey and indicated that Inuyasha should do the same. “Has she given you any hint that she regrets mating you?”

“Not really,” Inuyasha admitted. “She was pretty pissed with me today, but that was on me, not on our mating.”

“This Sesshomaru fails to see the problem.” As usual, Sesshomaru got right to the point. “Your human side seems to be the only part of you doubting this union. Why allow it to drive the conversation, so to speak?” When he saw Inuyasha’s confusion, he added, “Why should it be the only point of view that matters?”

“Because if my human side is having doubts, Kagome’s _all_ human,” Inuyasha insisted. “She’s got to have doubts about being with a half-breed the rest of her life.”

Sesshomaru sighed. “Little brother, therein lies your problem. Has the miko ever indicated that she would not accept all of you: youkai, human, or hanyou?” Inuyasha shook his head. “Did the miko Kikyo do the same?” Inuyasha looked up at him, surprised. “Do not think your ruminations on the dead miko have evaded this Sesshomaru. You dwell too much in the past, little brother. The dead miko wanted to change you; Kagome wants you for who you are. Will you ever find another mate as acceptable as her?”

“Never,” he said immediately. “She’s perfect.”

“So again. I fail to see the problem.” In his impatience, Sesshomaru resorted to casual language. That got Inuyasha’s attention.

“It’s—it’s just that—” Inuyasha found that he had no words; he could no longer defend his thoughts.

Sesshomaru waved his hand to dismiss his brother. “Go. Sleep with your mate. Enjoy the warmth you provide each other. Your nieces and the monk have something special planned for tomorrow. You will need your rest.” He rose. “I must return to _my_ mate, who also loves and accepts me, no questions asked.” He looked hard at his brother. “You would do well to remember how truly rare that is.” He left Inuyasha beside the fire.

Inuyasha swirled the whiskey in the glass as he had seen Sesshomaru do. He watched as the dark amber liquid picked up the bright embers of the fire, reflecting the light in the glass. His mind whirled as he was taken back to the very first time he met Kagome, when he was pinned to the Goshinboku and she freed him from Kikyo’s arrow. He saw the past two years of their lives in fast forward, highlighting significant moments in their time together. The day she pulled Tetsusaiga from its place in his father’s grave—the day he swore to protect her. The day she asked to stay by his side, even though she knew he loved Kikyo, not her. The day that Kouga kidnapped her, and how insane with worry he’d been. The day she was ill and he watched over her all night.

Mukotsu. Even now, Inuyasha felt sick to his stomach that he wasn’t there, and grateful to Sesshomaru because he was.

The time they almost kissed in her house. The time she did kiss him to bring back the human part of his soul from Kaguya’s mirror.

The three days he’d searched for her in the Meido, and he found her, and he kissed her.

The day the well stopped working.

The day they got engaged. The day she protected him with her barrier. The day he gave her a ring.

The night before, when they mated.

In a rage, Inuyasha flung his glass into the fire, making it burst into high flames with a dangerous _whoosh_. How could he be so stupid? He sank back down, head in his hands, practically sobbing with anger and relief and love.

He was stupid. He was selfish. She’d given almost everything—she’d nearly given _everything_ —for him. Always. And yet, he continued to quaver. All because now he had to give everything in return.

His youki suddenly swelled and filled his entire being, radiating out into the cool night. He hunched over, then, as he slowly rose, his youki soared around him, redder and more vibrant than the fire. He took a deep breath, drawing himself up to his full height. Throwing his head back, silver hair flying everywhere, he howled louder than he’d ever howled in his life, bellowing Kagome’s name. His golden eyes turned red; purple streaks jagged across his cheeks. He strode into the tent, practically ripping the front off as he struggled with the zipper.

Inside, Kagome groggily opened her eyes. “Inuyasha?” she asked sleepily. “Is everything okay?”

He knelt beside her, stroking her cheeks and nuzzling her neck. In her sleep-induced haze, she just made out the color of his eyes: hot volcanic red, not molten amber. She was wide awake now. “Inuyasha?” she asked again, reaching out to trace the jagged lines on his cheek.

He growled gently. “Mate.”

She smiled. “Yes. Mate.”

He leaned forward and kissed her. “Mine.”

She laughed and pulled him close. “Yes, Inuyasha. I’m yours.”


	21. The Second Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome face their second test. Of course, things don't go as expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters from the anime/manga; everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Thank you for continuing to read! Please enjoy it <3

“Oi, monk, what are we doing here?” Inuyasha asked, letting Kagome slide off his back. He wrapped his arm around her, tucking her into his side. She shifted her bow and quiver from her back into her hand and nuzzled his shoulder.

Hideaki tried not to roll his eyes. The whole camp—and everyone within a 20-mile radius, most likely—heard Inuyasha’s ridiculous display the night before. And the subsequent yelps, cries, and screams from inside their tent. He remembered his own early days newly mated to a hanyou, and really felt for Kagome. However, she seemed no worse for the wear, looking perky and flushed for not having had much sleep the previous night.

When Inuyasha and Kagome finally emerged from their tent in the morning, only Hideaki remained at the campsite. The girls and their parents were long gone to somewhere unknown. After a quick breakfast, Hideaki led Inuyasha and Kagome to a wooded grove on the far side of the mountain, where there was a small cavern opening. Ofudas marked the entryway, making it impossible for Inuyasha to enter without someone—Kagome, assumedly—breaking the barrier.

“Inside this cave,” Hideaki said, ignoring the snuffles and ministrations of love beside him, “you will find an ancient artifact from what we believe is the Sengoku Jidai. We want the two of you to find it, and destroy it.”

“Why would we want to destroy it?” asked Kagome, wrinkling her brow. Inuyasha leaned over and kissed it. Hideaki snorted.

“It’s not exactly an _it_ ,” Hideaki said. “It’s a _who_.”

Now both Inuyasha and Kagome were paying strict attention. “So then who is it?” Kagome said.

“Deep inside this cave is a sealed demon,” Hideaki said. “An amanojaku.”

Inuyasha sucked in his breath while Kagome said quakingly, “For real?”

“For real,” Hideaki confirmed. “You will need to unseal it and destroy it.”

“We’re going to need to be extra careful,” Kagome said to her mate. “We can’t let it get to us.”

“Fuck yeah, we are,” he replied. “We’ll have to seal ourselves off so it can’t see inside our souls.”

“You may take your weapons and your packs,” Hideaki said. “We will wait for you back at the camp. Bring proof that you have subdued the demon, please.” He began to walk away, then paused. “Kagome, I’m to give you this,” he said, handing her a small sheath. “See what you can do with it in short-range fighting.” Inuyasha refrained from snorting as Kagome grasped the hilt and pulled out a long knife, stainless steel and beautifully engraved. She looked at Hideaki, surprised and grateful, and resheathed the knife. She fastened it to a belt loop on her jeans.

“Good luck,” he told them. “You’ll need it.”

* * *

Once Hideaki left, Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other. He shrugged. “Well, little miko,” he teased, using Sesshomaru’s diminutive term for her, “how do we get in?”

Kagome frowned. “I haven’t worked as much on removing barriers. But let me see what I can do.” She walked up to the entrance of the cave and, closing her eyes, held her hands out. She felt the barrier crackle and resist under her own aura. She took a deep breath, and pushed her aura out. _Shatter the barrier_ , she told her power, drawing her aura up and out through her third eye.

She saw the barrier before them; firmly blue and unyielding. Through her third eye, she saw her aura move towards the barrier and infiltrate it, taking it apart, piece by piece, as though she were taking apart a brick wall. It was hard work; whoever constructed the barrier had been powerful. Determined not to wilt under the pressure, Kagome kept her focus steady, and encouraged her aura gently, carefully, to take it apart. Under her careful and patience guidance, her power slowly and steadily removed the barrier. Kagome began to break a sweat; just when she was starting to feel like it was too much, like the barrier would hold, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Inuyasha had seen her struggle and came to lend her his strength. She reached up and took his hand in hers, resting them both on her shoulder. His support gave her renewed focus, and she pulled her attention inward, drawing together all her power.

With one great push, she shouted, “smash it!” and, breaking free from Inuyasha’s grip, threw both her hands forward. There was in fact a massive smashing sound, and Inuyasha was stunned to see the barrier shatter into a great many pieces that looked like glass and then dissolved into the air. Panting and sweating from the effort, Kagome took a timid step forward, then another, then another. She looked up at Inuyasha and grinned, her flyaways plastered to her face.

“We’re in.”

Inuyasha laughed and ruffled her hair. “Good girl,” he said teasingly.

Kagome led the way into the cave. “Watch yourself, dog boy,” she replied. She gathered a little bit of power into her hand, and made a neat little column of light that swirled up and around about three or so inches off her palm. Inuyasha didn’t need the extra light with his inu eyes, but for Kagome, it was imperative she also be able to see. She slipped her other hand into his, and his face tightened into a grin. “Stay quiet,” he breathed. “We don’t know what the fuck my idiot nieces put in here for us to find.” She squeezed his hand in response, staying close beside him.

The cave was empty, but the passageway had many twists and turns that told Inuyasha they were going deeper and deeper into the mountain. A few times he thought they might be turned around and heading back to the exit, but they continued following the path until they heard the sound of running water. Kagome pulled on his hand in that direction.

“Oi, Kagome, I don’t think we should—” _Splash!_ They had fallen into some kind of underground pond. They were both good swimmers, but Kagome had the wind knocked out of her a bit and was struggling to stay afloat and hold onto her weapons. She latched onto Inuyasha’s shoulder, slinging her weapons up and over him so they would stay relatively dry, and together they floated in the water and ascertained their situation.

The pond was big—more like a lake, really—and the only way to continue on the path was to swim across. “Think you can make it, wench?” Inuyasha asked her. Kagome gritted her teeth and nodded. “I’m worried about my bow and arrows, though. I don’t think they’ll make it across. If the wood’s wet, there’s no reason for me to carry them.”

“Can you hold the bow and swim?” he asked. “If you can, I’ll take the quiver and the arrows. I’ll make sure they stay dry.”

“I can do it,” she said immediately.

“Stay close to me,” he told her, “and if you feel anything touch you, tell me.”

“You do the same,” she said.

“Keh.”

Holding her bow as high above her head as she could, Kagome started swimming across the pond, Inuyasha close behind her. The cave was silent save for the sound of their bodies slapping through the water. Although she was annoyed at the development, Kagome had to admit she was relieved by the feel of the water on her body. Severing the barrier had been hard work, and the water was cooling her off and helping her relax a bit.

Suddenly, she felt something brush up against her leg.

“Inuyasha, was that you—” she never got to finish that sentence, as she was dragged under the water, her bow left floating on the surface.

“Kagome?” Inuyasha said frantically. He peered into the water, but couldn’t see anything—it was too murky. “Fuck!” he swore, and dropped her quiver on its side in the water, hoping it wouldn’t take on too much water. He dove in after his mate.

Kagome was being dragged down, down, down as she kicked frantically with her free leg. She was repeatedly bumping up against something, but the water was too murky to see more than a few inches in front of her face. Whatever had hold of her was solid and serious. She could hear something that sounded like her name—probably Inuyasha—but she couldn’t see him. She was losing air and had to act quickly.

Making a rash decision, she sent out her aura in a wave of light, trying to cleanse the water of the muck and grime so she could see what she was up against. The light infiltrated the murkiness of the water, and she could see what had her leg. It was a kappa: a squat, fat, little water youkai. She could zap him easily, even at this distance, but she still worried about hurting Inuyasha. Even though she was _pretty sure_ nothing would happen to him, she didn’t want to take that chance. She didn’t know how her power would travel through water.

Instead, she reached onto her belt, pulling the knife from its sheath. It gleamed in the water. _It can’t be that different from a sacred arrow_ , she thought. She pulled her thoughts into her third eye quickly, seeing the knife there, seeing all of her power loaded into the knife’s tip. She was slightly surprised when the blade began to glow a bright pink. Rearing back with all she had, Kagome yanked her leg up, pulling the kappa along with it, and drove her knife directly into the kappa’s heart. The kappa screamed, and burst, sending bits of kappa parts through the water and all over Kagome. She let out a yelp of disgust; she couldn’t help it.

By this point her lungs were searing. Kagome shifted her focus and began to try to swim back to the surface, but the pain in her chest was too great, and Kagome was feeling herself go limp…

Suddenly, two strong arms lifted her up and out of the water, and pulled her along with them to the bank on the other side. She was hefted up onto the shore. Inuyasha dragged himself up after her, both of them panting and gasping for air, spewing water and bits of water youkai.

“Kappas,” Inuyasha said eventually in a raspy voice, “what the _fuck_ are those little girls thinking?” He sat on his haunches and shook out his silver mane like a wet dog. Kagome made an irritated sound and turned away. “Sorry, wench—ya should’ve mated a cat then.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’ll remember that next time I take a youkai for a mate,” she said. She sat up and shook her own hair out around her. “Are you okay?” she asked him at last.

Inuyasha grunted and sat on the shore beside her. “One of those fuckers was holding onto my leg. I couldn’t get to you in time.”

“I killed it,” Kagome said breathlessly, pulling out her knife. “With this.”

“Fuck, woman!” he shouted. “You could’ve killed yourself! Why not just purify the little bastard?”

“I seemed to have done all right, mate,” she retorted, rolling her eyes. “And I was still worried about purifying you in the process!”

Inuyasha worked his mouth open and shut, but no sound came out of it. Instead, he sighed and removed his pack. “It’s totally water-logged. How’s yours?”

Kagome pulled the sopping bag from her back. “The same.” She reached in and took out their water bottles, handing one to Inuyasha. “These made it just fine. Hopefully we won’t be in here too long without food, though.” She looked out onto the water. “My bow and my quiver won’t make it, I don’t think.”

He followed her gaze. “Hold on,” he said, and dove back into the water. “Don’t worry; I’ll be quick,” he called, and with a few swift strokes, he had reached the middle of the pond and retrieved her bow and quiver. A few strokes back brought him to the shore. He handed her the bow and quiver, then moved a few feet away to shake himself out.

Kagome, meantime, examined her weapons. The bow was soaked and useless. She couldn’t dry it out. The arrows in the quiver seemed dry enough; if she was desperate, she could use them in short-range fighting, as well as the knife. She decided to keep them, hefting the quiver onto her back. The bow she’d have to leave for now.

“Ready?” Inuyasha asked her, pulling on both backpacks. When she made to stop him, he simply said, “The water will bother me less,” and she let it go at that. Instead, she made a new column of light with her hand, and they set off together back down the tunnel.

* * *

What felt like hours passed. Kagome and Inuyasha were tired and hungry. How far was the damn youkai, anyway?

Kagome noticed that as they walked, the walls were becoming smoother and, she could have been mistaken, but the air in the cave was getting fresher. Inuyasha must have noticed this too, because he sniffed the air and said, “Hang tight. We’re close.” They each drew their weapons, and Inuyasha advanced first, Kagome close behind.

When they stepped through the doorway, they discovered a large, open cavern. It seemed to be lit from within; there were no torches, but the whole room shone with a dull, ethereal glow. The fresher air was from the size of the cavern; it was so large the air felt almost like they were outside. Inuyasha swept the Tetsusaiga in a wide circle, but the room was empty. No one was there.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome breathed, “over there.”

He followed her pointed finger to the far corner of the room, where a quaking box covered with ofudas rested on a pedestal. The light there shone a little bit brighter. The box itself was a brushed mahogany, and reflected the light in the room. It was engraved with scrolls and images of all different kinds of youkai locked in frightening, gruesome battles. Kagome shivered.

“Right,” Inuyasha said. He grasped Kagome’s hand and dragged her across the room to the box. He moved the Tetsusaiga into attack position and looked at her expectantly. “Well?”

“Well what?” she asked.

“Are you gonna open the box or not?”

Kagome stepped back, waving her hands. “Hold on, hold on,” she said. “Shouldn’t we talk about this—have some kind of a plan? We’re not talking about a regular youkai here. This is an amanojaku. It can see into our hearts. It can twist our desires.”

“Keh,” he replied carelessly. “I’ll smash it with the Tetsusaiga before it has a chance to do any of that.”

“But don’t you think we should at least—”

“Kagome!” Inuyasha said, growing impatient. “We’ve been walking in this fucking cave for hours. We’re here. Let’s destroy the fucking youkai and get the fuck out of here!”

She gazed into his face; his eyes were so dark gold they were almost brown. They were hard, and darting around constantly, looking for unseen enemies. His ears twitched anxiously. Kagome swallowed. She knew this face; she knew this attitude. Inuyasha wasn’t claustrophobic per se, but he wasn’t exactly fond of small spaces, either. He’d had enough. He was ready to go. And frankly, so was she, although she didn’t relish the idea of ripping open the box and annihilating the youkai. Knowing Sesshomaru’s daughters, there was more here than there appeared to be.

Looking at the resolution on his face, she sighed. “All right,” she said at last. “But please be ready. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Inuyasha swung the Tetsusaiga up and back into position. “Locked and loaded, mate.”

She rolled her eyes, reminding herself to limit Inuyasha’s television viewing. Reaching for the box, she held it in her hands, turning it over. As if it knew that it had been moved, the box was positively shaking, making it tough to hold it steady. She took a deep breath, and one by one, she removed the ofudas.

As she peeled the last one away, the box burst open in a flash of light and wind. They looked frantically around for the youkai, but it was nowhere to be seen. Curiously, they peered into the box; it was empty.

“Where the fuck is it?” Inuyasha muttered.

Then, it happened.

In a huge gust of wind, great amounts of dust and debris came flying out of the box. Kagome scrunched her eyes closed to avoid the debris and dropped the box; she heard it clatter to the side. The wind swirled everything around them, making it hard to see. Kagome felt her lungs filling with dust; she couldn’t breathe.

“Mate!” Kagome heard Inuyasha call out in a choked voice. She looked for him, but couldn’t see anything.

“ _Inu-ya-sha_ ,” she coughed, and then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm admittedly not great at cliffhangers (I like things resolved, lol), but here's one for you! 
> 
> An amanojaku is a youkai who is able to penetrate a person's mind and get them to do/think evil things. What does it have planned for Kagome and Inuyasha? 
> 
> Next update will be Sunday!


	22. Inuyasha's Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha finds himself in a different time and place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime or manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hi all! Thanks so much for continuing to read. Please enjoy <3
> 
> Chapter warning: dismemberment and lots of blood; implied potential, perhaps not entirely consensual, sex

When Inuyasha awoke, he was laying across something soft and furry. _A pelt_? He wondered. _What the fuck is a pelt doing in the cave_?

He opened his eyes. He was not in the cave anymore.

He was in a massive room, laying on a massive bed covered with furs. He was completely naked; off to his right, strewn across a rustic chair, were his fire-rat haori and red hakama. _When did those get here_? Inuyasha knew it wasn’t what he wore to the cave that morning. But what had he worn? And what exactly was this cave he kept thinking of? What had he been doing in a cave?

A knock at his door caused him to sit up, pulling a fur over the lower half of his body. “Come in,” he called. The door opened, and a young inuyoukai timidly entered the room. Inuyasha was surprised to see that he was dressed in the style of Sengoku Jidai. _Why was he surprised? What other style of dress would the inuyoukai be wearing?_

“Lord Inuyasha,” he said, bowing as he entered, “Lord Kouga has arrived.”

“The wolf?” Inuyasha asked, surprised. “Why the fuck is he here?”

The inuyoukai paused, as if not expecting to be spoken to. “I believe it is to discuss tribute for the inuyoukai’s continued protection of ookami land,” he said deferentially, still bent nearly double.

“Keh,” said Inuyasha, “where is the wolf now?”

“The drawing room,” the inuyoukai said. “Please hurry, Lord Inuyasha. We do not want Lord Sesshomaru to deal with the wolf alone.”

“I’ll be there shortly,” Inuyasha said. The inuyoukai, still bowed, left the room and closed the door.

He rose from the bed and put on his clothes. His head felt fuzzy. What had he been thinking about before the inuyoukai came in the room? Something about a cave? As he slipped on his kosode, he paused, feeling around his neck. Where was the rosary?

Pushing that thought aside, Inuyasha took a moment to grasp his surroundings. While he had noticed the size of the room, he hadn’t noticed its contents beyond his clothing. The walls were adorned with tapestries of what he presumed to be inuyoukai destroying various other types of youkai; several showed an epic battle between inuyoukai and ookami, with an inuyoukai tearing out the throat of an ookami in one particularly bloody tapestry. One wall was completely adorned with a wide variety of deadly weapons: several glaives, a halberd that he recognized as belonging to Bankotsu of the Shichinintai, some katanas, a massive sickle that looked like it was made of bones, and so on. While he examined the weapons up close, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the halberd.

His eyes were red, with blue irises, and he had purple jagged streaks running across his cheeks. He looked down at his hands; they were much larger than he remembered, and his claws were elongated. Running his tongue along his teeth, he found his fangs were much larger and longer, too.

_He was a full-blooded youkai??_

Inuyasha pushed the surprised voice at the back of his mind aside. He paid that little voice no mind; he’d always been a full youkai, so he was slightly confused as to why the voice would be questioning _that_. He knew who he was.

He was Inuyasha, son of the late Inu no Taisho. He was Lord of the East, feared by youkai and humans alike. He wielded power over all, including those bastards: his brother Sesshomaru and that stupid wolf.

He grasped Tetsusaiga from its place beside his bed and affixed it to his hakama. He left his bedroom and headed out into the corridor. It was large and stone, with torches affixed to the walls to keep it well-lit. He passed many inuyoukai along the hallway; some bowed, but many more threw themselves prostrate in front of him. He scowled.

The drawing room was at the end of the corridor. It wasn’t just a drawing room, though: it was a hall. A massive, echoing hall with a roaring bonfire in the middle. Like his bedroom, the walls were decorated with tapestries and weaponry. It was also decorated with heads: the heads of those who had wronged the inuyoukai tribe. In particular Inuyasha noticed the heads of the Shichinintai in a place of honor: right above a large stone chair that was painted blood red and decorated with shuriken and makibishi. The hall was full of inuyoukai drinking, eating, laughing, bellowing, fighting. Inuyasha took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of alcohol, blood, sweat, and chaos. He grinned.

“Well, little brother, you decided to grace us with your presence at last,” said a voice from behind him.

Inuyasha whirled around to face Sesshomaru, wearing his traditional hakama and armor, left arm missing, his silver hair flowing majestically behind him.

“Keh,” Inuyasha replied. “Where’s the damn wolf?”

“Waiting an audience with the greatest daiyoukai in the world, of course.” Sesshomaru nodded, gesturing to the great chair, where Inuyasha could see Kouga pacing anxiously. He could see a woman there, talking quietly with him, her hands gesticulating wildly.

_Kagome_.

Inuyasha’s youki howled and chomped at her appearance. Gods, she was lovely. She was wearing a white kimono, decorated with red paper cranes and chrysanthemums, under a full, bloody moon. Her obi was tied loosely, revealing her legs—fuck, he loved her legs!—and her feet were bare. Her long, blue-black hair cascaded down her back, contrasting with the white kimono. Her face was full and flushed pink with life, her eyes like sparking chocolate diamonds, her lips…WAIT.

_Why the_ fuck _was she talking to the wolf_?

Kagome looked up and saw him, surprise in her eyes. She said something to Kouga, who also turned his head and saw Inuyasha. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Inuyasha crossed the room, grabbed Kouga by the neck, and threw him to the ground, Inuyasha putting himself between the wolf and his mate.

“Why are you talking to my mate, wolf?” he growled, his hand squeezing Kouga’s neck.

“Please, my Lord,” he wheezed, “I asked her for some advice on helping Ayame with the cubs. That’s all.” Inuyasha’s hand relaxed and released Kouga, who rose, brushing dirt off his armor and furs. He immediately dropped to one knee and bowed his head. “This Kouga requests an audience with the daiyoukai Inuyasha, Lord of the East, in regards to this month’s tribute.”

Inuyasha pulled Kagome to his side and inhaled her delicious scent: vanilla and sakura. No wolf. But the scent of distress hung heavy about her.

“My—Lord?” she asked tentatively.

He grunted and pushed her aside, taking his place in the great stone chair. He motioned for Kouga to follow him. Kagome lamely stood to the right of the chair, her hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder. For some reason Inuyasha couldn’t identify, she looked…sad? _Why was she sad?_

“Bring me the tribute,” he said carelessly, reaching up to caress her hand. She jerked a little under his touch, and he frowned, grabbing her wrist and pulling her closer to him. She grunted as her feet dragged across the stone floor.

Kouga waved to the back of the room, and Inuyasha recognized his betas, Ginta and Hakakku, yelling something through the entryway. They moved aside as a number of wolf demons, in both human and wolf form, hauled the tribute into the room.

Inuyasha felt like he should be sick to his stomach at what he saw, but instead, his bloodlust curdled and his youki cackled. He rubbed his hands together in delight.

Body after body of bear youkai was hauled into the drawing room, all in various states of abuse. They were missing heads, arms, and legs; entrails were spilling out of the bodies; and bones stuck out where they had been broken or where body parts had been ripped apart. Eyes were open; eyes were missing; eyes were there but gored out. Tongues hung out of the heads that remained, stuck at odd angles away from the bodies.

It was sickening. It was glorious.

Kagome turned behind the throne and Inuyasha heard her retching. She resumed her position behind Inuyasha, wiping her pale but resolute face.

And finally, the last body was brought in by Ginta and Hakakku. It was Kurokuma. His arms, legs, and neck were chained, and surrounding the handcuffs were large spikes designed to keep him from attempting to free himself. His mouth was muzzled, and the cuff around his neck was attached to two cuffs around his shoulder joints, limiting his neck movement. Despite all these restraints, the bear youkai refused to come willingly; Ginta and Hakakku had to drag the bear with all their might to bring him before the dais. They bowed before Inuyasha, who dipped his head in return, and before Kagome, who managed a slight smile.

“Inuyasha, Lord of the East,” intoned Kouga, who had again dropped to one knee, “in return for your continued protection of the lands of the North, this Kouga presents you with this month’s tribute. Since you killed Ussuri and took your rightful position as Lord of the East, the bear youkai have plagued our lands and pillaged our peoples. They took your mate, and were it not for my Lord’s prowess in battle, she may not be here with us today. As tribute, we bring you the bodies of the bear youkai who engaged us in battle, dead, and the body of the one who took your mate, alive.” He inclined his head respectfully.

Inuyasha grinned, his fangs dripping with saliva and dipping below his lips. “Thank you, Lord of the North, for this most auspicious tribute. I’m sure that we will enjoy feasting on the bones of the deceased.” He licked his lips. “You know how much dogs love bones.” He felt Kagome shudder behind him, but he ignored her, choosing to rise instead. He slowly descended the dais to examine the greatest catch of them all: the youkai Kurokuma.

_Oh,_ Inuyasha thought, _this is going to be fan-fucking-tastic._

He ran his hands along the bear’s arms, feeling the muscles tense under his grip. The bear youkai growled at him; Inuyasha’s red eyes flashed, and he had to restrain himself from tearing right through the bear.

“Lord Kouga,” he said scathingly, “please. Remove the bear’s restraints. It’s time for him to face his judgment like a man…sorry,” he chuckled, cracking his knuckles. “Like the low-life piece-of-shit bear that he is.”

Kouga visibly gulped, and nodded to his betas. Ginta and Hakakku began removing the shackles while Inuyasha watched, drooling again in anticipation. The bear waited patiently for them to take away the rest of the bonds, and then lashed out with his mighty arms, sending them both flying across the room.

Kagome gasped, and Kouga raced to check on his betas. But Inuyasha simply laughed. It was a loud, dark, cackling laugh. It was the laugh of someone who is about to kill, and who can’t wait to do it.

“You’re fighting the wrong youkai, Kurokuma,” he rasped. Kurokuma turned his gaze to the inuyoukai, who hooked a finger at him. “You took my mate,” he said in a gravelly voice, swinging his finger from the bear to Kagome, who hid behind the throne in terror, and back to the bear. “And now… you die.”

“Fuck you, inuyoukai asshole,” Kurokuma shouted as he launched himself at Inuyasha, his mighty paws ready to land a blow to the daiyoukai’s chest. Inuyasha merely stood, stock-still, and waited for the attack. Then, at the last possible second, he blocked Kurokuma’s arms with his own, and flung his arms wide, countering and sending the bear youkai sprawling across the stone floor. The bear scrambled to his feet, paws raised in attack mode, watching as Inuyasha circled him slowly: a predator stalking his prey.

“You took what’s mine,” Inuyasha said in a low voice. “You dared enter _my_ territory. You dared enter _my_ keep.” His voice rose to a roar as he repeated, “And you dared to take _what is mine!_ ” Without warning, he leapt across the room to where the bear was standing. He was so fast Kurokuma only had time to throw up his own arms to block. But Inuyasha attacked with his claws, and tore through the bear’s arms. There was a horrible scraping sound as claws met bone. Inuyasha tore through his body, over and over, until he had sunk his fists into the bear’s chest. Inuyasha lifted the bear up over his head, allowing Kurokuma’s blood to soak his body. The bear struggled, but Inuyasha held on as easily as though he were a cub and not a fully-grown youkai.

“All of you, look!” Inuyasha bellowed. If anyone wasn’t paying attention to the display in the hall, they were now. “This bear has defied me. He has been caught, and now faces his judgment.” He turned his face up to Kurokuma’s, who was growling and struggling to get free. Blood poured from the open wound in Kurokuma’s chest, covering Inuyasha’s face. He grinned, licking the blood. His eyes gleamed through the dark red covering his face.

“Do you yield, you fucker?” he hissed. The bear grunted.

“I said, _DO YOU YIELD?_ ” he roared, and threw the bear into the great bonfire. There was a deafening shriek as the bear hit the heat of the flames. The fire sputtered and sparked with the added fuel, then resumed its height, greedily licking at the fur of its latest victim, who screamed and flailed in the flames. As the bear burned, the inuyoukai raised their glasses and shouted with glee. They drank, and wrestled, and fought. They ate, and fought some more. In the aftermath of bloodshed, the inuyoukai thrived on bloodlust and chaos.

Inuyasha shed his haori and hakama, leaving only his bloody kosode.  
  
“Clean that up,” he ordered several inuyoukai near the dais, “and bring me a new kosode.”

“Yes, my Lord,” they stuttered, and ran from the room.

“Lord Kouga,” Inuyasha said. Kouga came close to him, but not within arm’s reach. “This month’s tribute was well done,” he told the Lord of the North. “Your lands will be protected from this one. But next month, it will be hard to top this.”

Kouga bowed. “Yes, my Lord. Thank you, my Lord.” And he waved to his ookami, dismissing them from the hall, quickly following them out.

“Was that display necessary, little brother?” Sesshomaru had come up beside his brother, and together they watched the bear burn.

“Keh,” was the response. “You know what that fucker did.”

“My Lord would do well to remember that keeping one’s temper can also be a useful ally in battle,” Sesshomaru pointed out.

“Fuck off!” Inuyasha bellowed. “If you don’t like the way I do things, get the fuck out! Or fight me and face the same fate as the fucking bear!”

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. “I will leave you be, my Lord,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he bowed and stepped back from the dais.

Still exhilarated from the kill, Inuyasha felt his bloodlust rising again. But this time, he wanted something else. Frantically, he looked around until he found her. She was hiding behind the throne, crouched over, her beautiful hair falling around her face. She hated violence; he knew that. So why did he force her to watch this display? How could he have forgotten this about her? Was he so lost in his own desires that he failed to see hers? Why did that thought feel so…familiar?

Inuyasha stood beside his mate and held out a hand. “Kagome.”

She took his hand and rose, her face turning to meet his. “Inuyasha?”

He caressed her cheek; she closed her eyes and nuzzled his hand. He brought his face to her neck and licked her mating mark, leaving the bear's blood on her luminescent skin. She shivered. “Did you have to do that?” She took a breath. “Did it have to…be that way?”

He ignored her questions, his youki fighting to free itself and reclaim its mate against any reservations he might have. “You know what to do, wench,” he said roughly. She nodded and turned around, bracing her hands against the back of the throne. When he lifted her kimono, he thought he scented tears. 

_Tears? Why would she be crying?_

As he removed his kosode and prepared to enter her from behind, the tears grew more noticeable and her body shuddered. Then, he heard her cry out his name: “ _INUYASHA!”_

Only it wasn’t from her mouth. It was coming from somewhere else.

_Somewhere else…_

_Kagome…_

_The cave…_

_Fuck._

“ _KAGOME!”_ he roared, and everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Inuyasha got his heart's greatest wish...or did he? And how will the amanojaku get to Kagome? Find out at the next update!


	23. Kagome's Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome wakes up in a familiar place and sees some familiar faces. She considers taking drastic action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime or manga. Everyone else is mine.
> 
> Hello everyone :) Welcome to Kagome's Dream (mwah hah haha)....

Kagome felt first, rather than seeing or smelling. The ground beneath her was wet. She could feel dampness soaking through her clothes. Was she back at the shore of the lake in the cave?

No, there was…grass? It wasn’t rock. She was outside.

_Where am I?_

She forced herself to open her eyes. The sun was blasting through the trees, and she could hear running water beside her. She sat up, a flash of white catching her eye. She was wearing traditional miko robes. Kagome shivered despite the sunshine. Where were her clothes?

As she pulled herself to her feet, she could see that she was in a clearing, somewhere in the woods. The running water she heard was a small waterfall that was emptying into a pond close by. And under the waterfall, going through a ritual purification, was…Kikyo. The real, living, Kikyo.

Kagome gasped. She had never seen Kikyo in life; she only ever knew her as the clay form brought back from the dead by Urasue. With life breathed into her, with full possession of her own soul, Kikyo was…glorious. Her black hair was plastered to her head, but Kagome could see how it shone as the sunlight reflected off the water. Her cheeks were a maidenly pink, partially from the cold of the water, partially just from her being young and alive. Her eyes were closed, but Kagome could see the long eyelashes curling upward, the shapely twist of her nose, the plump rosiness of her lips, and the curve of her neck, so seductive that Kagome completely understood why anyone would want to devour it. She was so slender and lovely that Kagome, as she had in Sengoku Jidai, felt inadequate. She wasn’t as powerful as Kikyo; she wasn’t as beautiful as Kikyo; and she knew that she could never hold Inuyasha’s heart like Kikyo did.

“Kagome,” Kikyo suddenly called out to her. “Are you going to do your purification or not? You have to do it before the ritual at the shrine at sundown. Kaede and I can’t wait forever.”

 _How did Kikyo know who she was_?

Kagome approached the pond cautiously, removing her kimono and hakama, leaving only her kosode on. Kikyo smiled and waved her over. Kagome waded into the water, and joined Kikyo at the waterfall.

“All ready for the ritual this afternoon?” Kikyo asked.

Kagome nodded. “As I’ll ever be,” she replied.

“You and the girls have been practicing so hard on the dance,” she commented. “I’m looking forward to seeing it.”

“Thank you,” Kagome answered, having no idea what she was referring to.

“I wonder if the hanyou who lives in the forest will come to see it,” Kikyo murmured, mostly to herself.

Kagome sucked in her breath; Kikyo was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice.

“Kaede,” Kikyo called suddenly, “I’m ready.” She turned to Kagome. “Stay a few more minutes. I’ll see you back at the shrine.”

Kagome saw a little Kaede with two brown eyes holding out clean robes for Kikyo. She took the robes and together they went to get Kikyo changed. Once they were gone, Kagome sank to her knees.

She was back in Sengoku Jidai. With Kikyo. Before she fell in love with Inuyasha.

Which also meant that Naraku was here too. As the thief Onigumo. And Kikyo was caring for him, keeping him alive.

Kagome plunged her hands into the water in frustration, holding back the scream that threatened to rip from her throat.

_Just what was she doing here?_

* * *

“Kagome, can you please take this medicine to Onigumo and clean his wounds for me today?” Kikyo asked her. “I need to go prepare for the ritual and I won’t have time.”

“I’ve already been purified, Sister Kikyo,” replied Kagome. “I really should just go to the shrine with you.”

“The gods will look fondly on your efforts to care for the wounded man,” Kikyo replied. “You don’t have to worry about being purified again.”

“Kikyo,” she began hesitantly. Kikyo looked at her questioningly, but nodded. “I wonder… is it worth it to continue treating Onigumo? I don’t think he has long to live,” she finished lamely.

“It’s our job as mikos to treat everyone,” she scolded. “Even Onigumo deserves our sympathy.”

“Sympathy is one thing, Kikyo,” Kagome said, “but aren’t we just prolonging the inevitable? Wouldn’t it be better to just ease his pain and let him pass, instead of treating the wounds that will never heal?”

“We will continue treating Onigumo, Kagome,” said Kikyo. “You will go to him now, please; perhaps that will help you see the value of treating him.”

Kagome grumbled an assent and took the medical basket, heading out the door.

She remembered the way to the cave from her previous times in Sengoku Jidai; she and Kaede, who was by then an old woman, not a child, had journeyed to the cave to see where Onigumo became Naraku. Kagome had never seen Onigumo as Kikyo had. She wasn’t sure she wanted to, but part of her felt compelled to make the trip.

The entrance to the cave was set into a small hill, tall grasses waving around and nearly blocking the entrance; it was more of a hole dug into earth than anything else. Kagome paused at the entryway. It stank of death and darkness. She couldn’t believe Kikyo made the trip each day to do this. The evil aura coming off the cave was nauseating.

“Kikyo?” a raspy voice called out.

Kagome poked her head into the cave. “Not Kikyo. I’m Kagome. Kikyo has sent me to care for you today.”

He grumbled audibly. “Come in.”

Kagome ventured through the entry and down the slope inside the cave. She saw Onigumo the thief, resting comfortably on the ground, covered in blankets and bandaged thoroughly. His one good eye stared intensely at her. She shivered; he might still be human, but that eye was so full of malice he might as well already be a demon.

“You look like Kikyo,” he said.

“So I’ve been told,” she replied. She knelt at his side. “Let me redress your wounds,” she said, trying not to gag at the stench. Gods, what had Kikyo been doing to clean him?

It took some time, but Kagome managed to remove the old bandages, clean his wounds, apply poultice, and then redress them. The wounds were infected and festering; he wasn’t going to survive much longer. Kagome knew that soon, Onigumo would make a deal with the demons in the cave and become Naraku. She was tempted to kill him herself, but she hesitated. She was unsure of why she was there, in this time period, with a Kikyo who knew her as an apprentice miko, and until she knew for sure, she wasn’t going to do anything to upset the fabric of time. “Kikyo will be back tomorrow,” she said.

“Good,” he answered, grabbing her hakama. “Tell her that I missed her today.”

Kagome blanched, ripping her hakama out of his grip, but agreed to do so.

As she left the cave, a figure jumped down out of the trees, clothed in red robes, nearly scaring her to death. It was a face she knew all too well. Her heart stopped.

“He reeks of death, you know,” he said to her.

“I know; he’s dying,” she replied.

“You’d do better to just make him comfortable,” he said. “Tell your miko friend she’s giving him false hope.” And then, as quickly as he’d jumped down, he leapt back into the tree and was gone.

* * *

The ritual itself went off without a hitch. The villagers arrived. They presented food offerings; Kikyo recited some prayers; Kagome, Kaede, and the other apprentices danced; the offerings were taken away; and finally, the inner sanctuary was closed. Everyone knew their part; none of the girls missed a step in the dance, not even Kagome, who had just learned the dance not too long before. Kikyo proclaimed the ritual a success, and asked all the apprentices to meditate upon the events of the evening while the villagers feasted.

Seated in the shrine, Kagome couldn’t help but feel at peace. It wasn’t her family’s shrine, but she had spent two years helping Kaede tend to it. This shrine was a home to her, of sorts. She settled into a comfortable position and closed her eyes, the auras of the other girls fading away as she reached towards her third eye and concentrated on her breath. She felt herself leaving her body; she felt calm, at peace.

Kagome allowed her body to go at its own will; she breathed in and out, now merely an observer of her own body’s actions. She saw herself flying through time; she saw herself in her old middle school uniform, wielding a bow and arrow, in a battle against Naraku: a battle to end all battles, a battle for their lives.

_Had it happened this way? She couldn’t remember anymore. There were so many battles._

She saw her friends—Miroku, Sango, and Shippou—fighting desperately against Naraku and his tentacles. She saw them slapped aside, over and over. She saw his tentacles slashing their faces, their bodies. And then she saw herself, drawing a sacred arrow and letting it fly. She watched as it approached the massive spider demon with tentacles and a handsome, terrible, face.

“Naraku!” she heard a familiar voice bellow. She turned, and that’s when she saw him, soaring past her, a phantom on the wind with his silver hair flying behind him. She saw him wield the Tetsusaiga and scream something she couldn’t quite understand, and she watched as their powers combined to blast the demon. She also watched as the demon shot a tentacle forward, towards her. She saw Inuyasha leap in front of her, and watched in horror as the tentacle impaled him straight through the gut, just before the blow from their combined power obliterated Naraku’s body from the neck down. She watched him turn to her, mouth, “Kagome,” and close his eyes in pain.

 _Inuyasha,_ her soul cried.

And then things went in rewind and flash forward, so quickly she became dizzy within her own mind: she saw the thief Onigumo make a deal with the demons in the cave. She saw him become Naraku. She saw Kikyo and Inuyasha fall in love; she saw them betray each other, because of Naraku’s deception. She saw Kikyo demand that Inuyasha follow her into hell, and watched as Inuyasha acquiesced, because he felt responsible for her death. She saw Miroku’s wind tunnel; she saw Sango’s village destroyed and her brother fall under Naraku’s control. She saw Kouga’s tribe decimated. She saw it all, and when her body slammed back into itself, she knew the cause of all the pain and anguish she and her loved ones would suffer.

Kikyo.

Kikyo was the one who kept Onigumo alive. Kikyo was the one who refused to let Inuyasha go. Kikyo was the one who tried to kill Kagome, stole her shards of the jewel, and gave them to Naraku. Kikyo was the cause of everything.

 _Kikyo_ , she thought angrily, her eyes snapping open. _Kikyo must die._

* * *

After her vision in the shrine, Kagome could scarcely control herself. She was fuming; her aura kept sparking, and it was all she could do to tamp it down. Long after the other girls had gone, she sat in the shrine, ruminating on what she had seen. For years she had tolerated Kikyo because of Inuyasha’s love for the dead miko; for years she had believed that Kikyo was good, and pure, and had the best of intentions. But when she came face to face with Onigumo—when she felt the evil that radiated off him—she really couldn’t understand how Kikyo could show compassion for the man. But then again, when had Kikyo ever acted in a way that didn’t benefit herself? Keeping Onigumo alive made her a better miko in the eyes of the village. Asking Inuyasha to become human made her feel better about loving him. Pulling Inuyasha to hell made her feel better about her role in the betrayal. Stealing Kagome’s shards to give to Naraku meant that Kikyo was the only one who could kill him.

Kagome knew that Kikyo’s treatment of Onigumo was going to bring much death and destruction to the village and beyond, especially to those she loved. She had to stop it all: she had to stop Kikyo and Inuyasha from falling in love, and above all, she had to stop Kikyo from treating Onigumo. Without her care, he would die. Kagome was sure of it. This was why she was there. Kikyo’s death would mean that hundreds, if not thousands, of other lives would be saved.

But, how to kill a powerful priestess? Kagome frowned, rose, and started to pace. Naraku was able to trick Kikyo into thinking he was Inuyasha; maybe Kagome could try something similar. She was not as powerful as Kikyo, but maybe she could rely on close combat. Maybe that would be enough.

Kagome needed to find a weapon.

When she had fallen unconscious in the cave, she’d had her quiver of arrows and her knife with her. She didn’t have them now, but as she searched the shrine, sure enough, in one corner, she found a quiver of arrows and a bow. She didn’t think she could kill Kikyo from a distance, but she could use an arrow up close. It had to work.

When she finally left the sanctity of the shrine, night had fallen, and as far as Kagome was concerned, that was all the better for her plan. She had to act carefully. Kikyo was powerful and clever; more so than Kagome (she could admit that to herself). But as she’d noted, Kikyo was fallible when it came to Inuyasha. That would be her downfall.

Kagome went to Kikyo and Kaede’s hut; she felt a little pang of guilt at separating Kaede from her older sister earlier than expected, but this was for the good of the village, and for the world. Kagome knew that Kaede would someday thank her for her actions this night.

“Kikyo?” Kagome asked tentatively, moving aside the woven mat that served as a door. Inside, Kikyo was weaving a new medical basket, while Kaede was tying up herbs to dry. The fire in the pit at the center of the room cast a dim glow over the inside of the hut.

“What is it, Kagome?” Kikyo replied, not bothering to look up from her weaving.

“The hanyou who—who lives in the forest,” Kagome stammered. “He wants—he wants to see you. Tonight.”

That got her attention. Kikyo rose. “Why would he want to see me?” she asked.

Kagome shrugged. “I think he’s wounded. He asked if you could come and bring your basket of herbs. He was out by the Bone Eater’s Well; there’s an old tree there. He was sitting under it, and he looked like he was covered in blood.”

Now Kikyo moved quickly. She threw some herbs into her medical basket, said to Kaede, “I’ll be back soon,” and left. Kagome followed her, without another glance at Kaede. She couldn’t look at the child—the person she would one day come to see as a grandmother—without feeling the guilt.

Kikyo was fleet of foot, but Kagome was faster. She didn’t know where the speed was coming from, but she was able to slink through the trees quickly, without making noise and without being seen. Even though Kikyo had a slight head start, Kagome was able to get there first. She reached the tree on the far side of the Bone Eater’s Well and shimmied up the trunk, hiding herself in the branches. It was so dark that not even her robes could be seen. She held her breath and gripped her arrow. She planned to jump Kikyo and pierce her heart, hopefully killing her instantly and undoing the future that Kagome knew was coming.

Soon enough, Kikyo came timidly through the wood. Kagome could see that she was unfamiliar with this part of the forest; that would make it easier for Kagome to act. When Kikyo reached the tree, she paused and looked around. “Inuyasha?” she called out shyly.

Kagome rolled her eyes.

When there was no response, Kikyo tried again. “Inuyasha?”

“He’s not coming,” Kagome said from above Kikyo. “He’s not here.” Kikyo looked up, and Kagome leapt from the tree branch, landing on Kikyo and effectively pinning her to the ground. Kikyo saw her face.

“ _Kagome_ ,” she cried angrily, “what are you doing?”

Kagome slapped her across the face. “What are _you_ doing?” she hissed. “Do you even know what you’re doing? What you’ve already done? What it will lead to? _Do you even know, Kikyo?_ ”

Kikyo flailed and tried to free her legs, but Kagome was stronger and held her solidly. “Without you,” she said, “the world will be a better place.” She raised her arrow high, poised above Kikyo’s heart, ready to strike.

“Will it?” said a sudden voice ahead and to her right. Keeping one eye on Kikyo, Kagome turned her gaze slightly towards the voice. It was Inuyasha. The moonlight washed over his body, causing his hair to glow molten silver. His eyes burned a fiery gold.

“Will it be better?” he said. She looked at him; he gazed back at her mournfully.

Kagome paused. She looked from Inuyasha to Kikyo and back again.

 _Is this what you want?_ A voice in the back of her mind asked, softly. _Is this who you are?_

Kagome wanted to say, _yes, it’s who I am!_

But she couldn’t.

Because it wasn’t.

She lowered the arrow and looked across the glen. He smiled knowingly.

 _INUYASHA!_ She cried.

Everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was honestly one of the more difficult chapters to write, for a variety of reasons. I feel pretty happy with it (I think), and I hope that you enjoyed reading! 
> 
> In the next update: will Inuyasha and Kagome be able to escape their dreams?


	24. The Only Ones in Their Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome face off against the amanojaku. They realize the full extent of their powers. Kagome has an important realization about Kikyo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I wanted to take a moment and say thank you for the kudos, the comments, and the bookmarks. I was going to wait a few days to post the next chapter, but you motivated me to edit this and get it posted. So thank YOU!

The first thing Inuyasha felt was something sharp at his throat. When he opened his eyes, he saw Kagome struggling beneath him, her knife glowing pink and pressed into his neck.

The first thing Kagome felt was a heavy body pressing her into the ground. She couldn’t sense who it was; she just sensed that it was male, and something hard was pressing into her core when she didn’t want it to be. She reacted by pulling her knife, infusing it with her power, and jabbing it at the body on top of her. When she opened her eyes, it was Inuyasha; his eyes were glowing red, and he was growling.

At the same time, each cried out the other’s name. Inuyasha scrambled back, and Kagome threw aside her knife and jumped into his arms, sobbing.

He held her close, her arms desperately circling his neck, each crying apologies and sweetnesses to the other. She lifted her neck; he breathed in her scent and licked her mark. They each took a slow breath and looked each other, deep in the eyes.

“You first,” Kagome said.

“I was a full youkai,” Inuyasha said. “A terrible, bloodthirsty, dominant, youkai.” He shuddered. “You were there, and you were so sad, and I couldn’t figure out why. Then, when I was…” he couldn’t say what he’d been about to do; how he was going to take her so roughly, “…I heard you calling for me from somewhere else. I remembered everything.” He paused, stroking her hair. “How about you?”

“I was going to kill Kikyo,” she whispered. Inuyasha’s eyes widened. “I was back in Sengoku Jidai, before you knew Kikyo, when she was caring for Onigumo. If I killed her, that would mean that Onigumo would die, there would be no Naraku, and your heart wouldn’t have been broken.”

Like his heart was breaking right now. But for different reasons. “What stopped you, koishii?” He had to be gentle with her; she was shaking so badly at the thought of what she had almost done.

She breathed. “I remembered that’s not who I am. You were there; you challenged me to think about who I am, what I want, and what will make the world a better place.”

“And what will?” he asked.

She pulled him close for a kiss. “You.”

Behind them, a scream echoed throughout the cavern. Inuyasha leapt to his feet, Kagome’s arms still around his neck. The amanojaku was there, somewhere, and it was pissed. Its hold over them had been broken.

Kagome unwrapped herself from Inuyasha; he unsheathed the Tetsusaiga. “Show yourself, you bastard!” he howled.

“Careful, Inuyasha,” Kagome murmured. “If you unleash the full power of the Tetsusaiga, you could bury us in this cave.”

“Shit, woman, I know that!” he hissed.

“I’m going to try and draw it out,” she said softly. “Be ready to hack it into pieces.”

He grunted and swung the sword in front of him. Kagome now knew that Inuyasha would be protected from her power, and she could send out her aura without fear of hurting him. She closed her eyes, imagined her power bubbling up around her, and threw her arms forward, sending out a broad sheath of hot pink aura, like a shield before them. They heard a yelp and a squeak, and then there it was: the amanojaku. It was a small, squat, ugly little youkai, with bug eyes, pointed nubs for ears, and a jagged, sharp little mouth. It made squelching sounds as it dragged itself across the cavern floor. Inuyasha got a bead on it quickly, taking a quick swipe at it with the Tetsusaiga. But, it was little, so it managed to avoid the sword.

“Prince Inuyasha!” it wheezed. “Remember your power as a full-blooded youkai! Wouldn’t you want to hold onto that power? What would you do for it?”

“Not give up my sense of honor and decency, you bastard,” he growled.

“Lady Kagome!” the amanojaku now turned to her. Kagome made a sound of disgust and shrank away from it. “Do you not want to reverse the damage that Naraku has done? Do you not want to be the only one in Prince Inuyasha’s heart?”

Kagome paused. Inuyasha looked at her, wild-eyed, but swung at the amanojaku instead. “You bastard!” he bellowed again. The little youkai again easily dodged Inuyasha’s attack.

“Come on, mate,” Inuyasha said to Kagome, fear rising in his heart, “I can’t kill it alone. I need you!”

In her mind, Kagome saw her vision again, only she saw what would have happened, had she followed through: no Naraku, but also, no Inuyasha.

 _No._ She needed Kikyo to come first. She needed Kikyo, so Inuyasha could know that she—Kagome—was the only one who truly loved him…who truly loved all of him.

Kagome whirled around to face the amanojaku, her fury rising, her power crackling hot pink again around her. “No,” she replied in a low voice, “I _am_ the only one in Inuyasha’s heart.” She took a deep breath, willing her aura to spin around her. “Without Kikyo, Inuyasha would not have been ready to love me so fully and completely.” She moved her hands now cyclically, gathering her aura in a massive, hot pink, swirling ball. “Without Kikyo, Inuyasha wouldn’t know how right we are for each other.” She reared back; Inuyasha raised his sword. “Without Kikyo,” she said, her voice now rising, “we wouldn’t have realized we were made to be together!” Together, Inuyasha and Kagome unleashed a deafening roar, firing all they had at the little youkai who had seen into their hearts and made them think and do unspeakable things. The amanojaku shrieked as he was hit with the full force of their might, and was flung against the far wall of the cavern. Dust and debris flew everywhere, and Inuyasha threw himself over Kagome, shielding her body as the walls and the ceiling of the cavern fell around them. Kagome made herself as small as possible, listening to the rocks crumbling and falling and hitting the cavern floor.

“Fuck,” Inuyasha muttered. “Didn’t you tell me _not_ to use the full power of the Tetsusaiga?”

Kagome giggled and rolled around underneath him so they were facing each other. “I guess that’s my bad?”

He laughed and kissed her. “Fuck,” he said again. “It feels good to kiss the real you.”

“It feels good to be kissed by the real you,” she replied playfully. He growled and licked her mark again. She flushed and licked his mark in return. He moaned.

“Hold on there, mate,” he said. “I don’t relish taking you in the middle of a cave-in.” He poked his head up and surveyed the damage.

All around them, rocks and debris lined the cavern floor. The end of the room where the amanojaku had hit the wall was completely caved in; behind them, where the exit was, there was minimal damage.

“I think we’ll be good to get out,” he said, pulling himself to his feet and helping Kagome to stand. She looked around, brushing them both off and shivering slightly at the damage they’d made. “We did this?” she asked.

He grinned. “We make a good team.” He scanned the room quickly. “We need to take something to prove that we killed the amanojaku. What do you think?”

Kagome thought for a moment. “Do you think the box will be enough? Is it still here?”

Inuyasha looked through the damaged room. “Yes.” He crossed to a corner of the cavern, dug through some debris, and pulled out the box.

“Is there anything left of the amanojaku?” Kagome asked hesitantly. “Should we even go near it?”

Inuyasha made his way to the far end of the cavern, where the amanojaku had hit the wall. “Not much,” he admitted. “We hit it pretty hard.”

“Take whatever’s left and put it back in the box,” she suggested. “That’s as good as we can do.”

Inuyasha scraped up some ash and bones into the box that formerly housed the amanojaku. “It was his prison, and now it’s his final resting place,” Kagome said commented, not necessarily unkindly.

“Yeah, yeah,” Inuyasha replied, grabbing her hand. “Let’s get the fuck out of here and back to camp. Those little girls and the monk better have some food ready for us, or I’m really gonna hurt somebody.”

* * *

By the time they emerged from the cave, the sun was beginning to set against the backdrop of the mountains. The sky was full of sparkling hues of pretty pinks and ripe oranges; the stratus clouds reflected the dark reds of the setting sun and the blues of the sky in the distance. They paused at the entrance to the cave, admiring the view. Kagome reached for Inuyasha’s hand; he nuzzled her hair and took her small hand in his own.

“You made quite a mess today,” came a voice from off to their right.

Inuyasha growled. “Sesshomaru.”

“What are you doing here?” Kagome asked, surprised. “I figured it would be Hideaki or one of the girls waiting for us.”

Sesshomaru crossed his arms across his puffer vest, grimacing, his sleek silver ponytail billowing behind him in the evening breeze. Inuyasha snickered; the sight of the great and mighty Sesshomaru in a navy blue and yellow puffer vest would never fail to strike him as absolutely hilarious.

“Let us discuss what happened in the cave today,” he commented.

“How do you know what happened in the cave, you fucker?” Inuyasha grunted.

Sesshomaru waved an arm in the direction of the opposite side of the mountain. Inuyasha and Kagome walked, following his gesture. What they saw made them stop in their tracks, Kagome hiding her eyes against Inuyasha’s chest.

The entire side of the mountain was completely blown away.

Trees were cracked in half; rocks clearly blown to bits; whole chunks of earth were upended and displaced. “What did we do?” Kagome whispered in to Inuyasha’s shirt.

“You used the full effect of your combined powers, did you not?” Sesshomaru asked blandly, picking at his claws. “This is to be expected.”

Inuyasha ignored him. “Here,” he said, thrusting the box containing the remains of the slain youkai. “What you required of us.”

Sesshomaru accepted the box without question. He opened it, raised one eyebrow ever so slightly, and closed the box. He looked at his brother and his brother’s mate carefully.

“I would like to ask you both again; what happened in the cave?” Sesshomaru’s voice was quiet.

Inuyasha pulled Kagome closer; he could feel her shivering against him.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he told his brother shortly.

“ _Little brother_.” Sesshomaru’s voice was now a hiss. “We _must_ discuss this.”

“Fine,” Inuyasha replied.

“Inuyasha,” murmured Kagome.

He took her pack and handed Sesshomaru the bow and quiver. He lifted Kagome up into his arms.

“At camp,” he said. “We will talk at camp. My mate is tired. And I’m hungry and pissed off.”

* * *

Hideaki threw several logs on the campfire, causing new flames to shoot up and lick the air, crackling as they absorbed the oxygen. Sayua and Asuka sat close together, each drinking a beer, lost in their own thoughts. Rin sat not far from her daughters, nursing a whiskey. It was after dark, and Sesshomaru had yet to return with Inuyasha and Kagome. They each knew what was in the cave. Everyone’s nerves were a little on edge.

“How could you put an amanojaku in the cave, Sayua?” asked Rin, worry lining her lovely face. Her dark eyes narrowed at her older daughter.

“It was the best way to test their bond, Mother,” replied Sayua. “Will they be able to resist what the amanojaku shows them? Will they help each other resist? Can they work together to defeat it?”

“Yes, to all those questions, Niece,” said a voice from behind them. Four heads swiveled around to see Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sesshomaru, silhouetted against the firelight. Inuyasha’s hair was pulled back into a ponytail, silver flyaways framing his face, mud and dirt caking the ponytail so it was plastered to his head. His face was singed and scratched; his clothes soaked and torn. He had both packs slung over his back; Tetsusaiga still at his hip. Kagome didn’t look much better. Like Inuyasha, her ponytail was caked in dirt and mud; she had a nasty gash down the side of one arm, and a huge bruise from where the kappa grabbed her on her left calf. Her bow and quiver were slung carelessly over her shoulder; she carried a small wooden box. Neither looked especially pleased.

Kagome approached Hideaki. “Here,” she said, bowing. “Proof of our killing of the amanojaku.” Hideaki accepted the box and looked inside, then back up at Sesshomaru, surprised.

“I have inspected the contents of the box,” he told his son-in-law. “This Sesshomaru finds them acceptable.”

Hideaki nodded and passed the box to Sayua and Asuka. They opened the box, closed it, and looked up at Kagome and Inuyasha, as surprised as Hideaki.

“Yeah, yeah, we slayed the little bastard,” Inuyasha said, flicking his claws. He sat down by the fire, Kagome next to him. He looked at Sesshomaru. “You want to know what we saw?” Sesshomaru said nothing, but sat a few seats away from his brother. “We eat while I talk.”

Asuka and Rin immediately jumped up. Asuka ran to her tent and grabbed her medical bag, while Rin went to the cooler and brought prepared meals.

“Before you eat, I have to examine you, Auntie,” said Asuka.

“I’m okay, Asuka,” Kagome protested weakly. “I just need to eat.”

“This gash would suggest otherwise, Auntie,” Asuka replied. “Let me put some medicine on it for you and bandage it up.” She rummaged through her bag for some ointment, applying it gingerly. She finished up by carefully binding the wound, a grim smile on her face.

“That bruise is also quite bad, Kagome-chan,” said Rin, handing her a bento and kneeling beside her. “Anata, please bring us some ice.”

Sesshomaru immediately rose and went to the cooler. He grabbed an ice packet, returned to the firepit, and handed it to his mate. She murmured her thanks and pressed it to Kagome’s calf. Kagome inhaled sharply, but allowed Rin to keep the ice there. Once Asuka was finished, Inuyasha replaced her at Kagome’s side. He opened her bento box, broke the chopsticks, and started to feed her. This time Kagome didn’t argue; she simply opened her mouth each time Inuyasha raised the chopsticks to her lips. Her arm and her leg were really starting to hurt; as the adrenaline from the day wore off, the pain from her injuries went steadily up. Asuka bandaged her arm nicely, but the medicine she’d applied to the wound only helped reduce the chance of infection; it didn’t do much for the pain. And the ice pack Rin held to her leg helped reduce the swelling, but again, didn’t help the pain much.

“Asuka,” Kagome murmured in between bites of pork and rice, “do you have any ibuprofen? I could really use some for the pain.”

Asuka nodded and dug through her bag. She produced several pills and handed them to Kagome. Kagome nodded in thanks and put them in her mouth; Inuyasha gave her a little water to drink and she swallowed, leaning against him in her sudden tiredness.

“Kagome received her leg injury from the kappa," Inuyasha said, looking hard at his nieces, “so thanks for including that little challenge for us.”

The girls held their gazes steady under his withering glare. “Remember, Uncle, we did what we did to properly train you and your mate,” Sayua said evenly.

Inuyasha growled. Kagome sighed and put a hand on his arm. “It’s fine, Inuyasha,” she said sleepily. “It was all worth it in the end.”

“Like hell it was,” he replied grumpily.

“Tell us about the amanojaku, Inuyasha-sama,” Hideaki suggested, changing the subject.

“There wasn’t anything in the box when I got it open,” Kagome said, seeing the murderous look on Inuyasha’s face and deciding to not let him speak. “Then, a huge rush of dust and debris swirled out, and we got caught up in it.” She paused. “It clogged my throat, and I couldn’t see anything. Everything went black and that’s when…” she shuddered and leaned into Inuyasha’s side.

“That’s when the dreams started,” Inuyasha finished for her, his voice tight. He put his arm around Kagome and nuzzled her hair.

“What did you see?” Hideaki asked.

Kagome sighed; Inuyasha could tell she was trying not to cry. “I’ll go first, koi,” he whispered. She nodded, still shaking slightly. He looked up at the others. “I was full-fledged youkai,” he said shortly. “I was the Lord of the East; I was the Lord and Master of a keep full of wild, bloodthirsty inuyoukai. I threatened Sesshomaru. I attacked Kouga. I killed Ussuri. I killed Kurokuma. I bathed in his blood and threw him into a bonfire.” He turned green at the thought. “The bloodlust I felt was unimaginable.” He looked down at his mate. “Kagome was there.” He didn’t want to say more.

“How did you get out?” Sayua asked.

Inuyasha turned red. “Kagome…she…wasn’t herself the whole time. She was sad; I couldn’t figure out why. And then when I was…” again he couldn’t say what he’d been about to do, “I heard her call out my name. But it wasn’t the Kagome in my dream…she was calling me from somewhere else. That’s when I realized where I was, and where I should have been. When I came to…” again he didn’t want to say what had happened. It was too shameful.

“When we came to he was on top of me and I had my knife pressed to his neck,” Kagome said coolly.

“What?” exclaimed Rin, so surprised she almost dropped the ice pack.

“It’s the effect of the amanojaku,” said Asuka, putting her bag down and settling in beside her father. “It uncovers your deepest desires, but twists them to get you to do unspeakable things.”

Rin sucked in her breath. “Daughters,” she said reproachfully, “I am surprised at you both. This plan to train your uncle and his mate is questionable at best. Think of what could have happened if this had gone wrong!”

“But it didn’t, Mother,” replied Asuka. “We had confidence that Uncle and Auntie would prevail.”

“Kagome,” said Hideaki, “would you tell us about your vision?”

Kagome shuddered. “I was in Sengoku Jidai with Kikyo, before she fell in love with Inuyasha, but while she was still caring for Onigumo.” Inuyasha pulled her closer and ran his hand slowly up and down her back. “I was trying to figure out what I was doing there, and decided I was there to kill Kikyo.” There were gasps all around the campfire.

“Did—did you do it?” asked Rin in a hushed tone.

“Almost.” Kagome’s tone was bitter, but towards herself—no one else.

Rin brought her hand up to Kagome’s knee, squeezing it in comfort. “What stopped you, Kagome-chan?”

“I saw Inuyasha,” she said quietly. “I was on top of Kikyo, ready to drive an arrow through her heart. I thought that if Kikyo died, Onigumo would die, and Naraku would never be born. And, Inuyasha would never have his heart broken. But Inuyasha appeared to me, and asked if that was what I really wanted. He made me stop and think about my actions. I realized I was better than that, and that killing Kikyo would solve nothing. In fact, without Kikyo—” here she paused to look up at Inuyasha; he returned her gaze lovingly, “—Inuyasha would never have fallen in love with me so completely, nor I with him. We needed Kikyo’s love, and her betrayal, and her return, in order for us to find each other, and commit to each other fully.” She closed her eyes, leaned back into Inuyasha’s side, and took Rin’s hand in appreciation.

Inuyasha smirked. “The amanojaku didn’t like ‘Gome’s revelation too much,” he chuckled. “So we blasted it back to whatever hell it came from.”

“And blew out half the mountain in the process,” Sesshomaru added blandly. Rin’s face blanched, but she kept her composure.

“So, Inuyahsa-sama, Kagome-sama,” said Hideaki thoughtfully, “what do you feel that you learned today?”

Kagome sat back up and opened her eyes. “That we are strongest together. But, that if we give in to our innermost desires, and forget about what makes our love unique and… _us_ …that we are vulnerable.”

“That we need to listen to each other,” Inuyasha added. “Like, _really_ fucking listen. Not just hear the other’s voice.”

Hideaki nodded, absently reaching for Sayua’s hand and stroking it softly. She smiled.

“You are learning what it means to be mates, little brother,” said Sesshomaru. “And, you are learning how to use your combined abilities. You have done this in the past, but it was spontaneous and you could not maintain your combined powers. Now that you have mated, you will not only be able to combine your powers more regularly, but you will find that your powers will influence each other, making you incredibly strong.”

“Tomorrow we’ll work on this some,” Sayua added, “and we will also work on some physical training for Auntie.” Kagome’s tired eyes brightened considerably. Inuyasha huffed. “Don’t worry, Uncle,” Sayua said, “you’ll be part of it.”

“We wouldn’t _dream_ of leaving you out, Uncle,” interjected Asuka, rolling her eyes at Inuyasha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again everyone for reading. Next up: Inuyasha and Kagome have one more day of training, and the inevitable looms over them soon: telling Kagome's mother about their new relationship. Stay tuned! Thanks again <3


	25. A New Threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome have their last day of training. A new enemy emerges.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for continuing to read! We're finishing up training in this chapter, and moving on to some new enemies and new issues for our favorite hanyou and miko to deal with.

Kagome opened her eyes at first light. She yawned and stretched her limbs: first her right arm, then her left, then her left leg, starting at the thigh and working her way down, and then her right leg, with the same process. She rolled her neck right, and then around to the left. She turned over and lightly massaged Inuyasha’s ears. He purred and rotated his head towards her, slowly opening one golden eye.

“Morning,” he grunted softly.

“Morning,” she replied, kissing him lightly.

He groaned as she moved from massaging his ears to running her hands through his hair. “Why are you up so early, mate?”

She moved on top of him, rolling her hips into his. “Did you forget what today is?”

He gripped her hips with strong hands, fully awake now. “What is today?” he growled, raising his face to meet hers.

She kissed him fully on the mouth. He whined under her. “Today is physical training,” she said, nipping at his mark.

Inuyasha moaned and flipped her over. “Are you looking to get a head start?” he asked her roughly. She giggled. He nuzzled her neck and pawed at her shirt. “All right,” he growled. “Let’s consider this a warm up.”

* * *

The grunts and moans coming from the newly mated couple’s tent made Inuyasha’s nieces roll their eyes. Sayua was sitting by the smoldering fire, sharpening her sword. Asuka sat a few feet away, trying not to gag.

“And you wonder why I don’t ever plan to take a mate, elder sister,” Asuka said.

“It’s early in their mating, little sister,” Sayua replied.

“You and the monk weren’t like this.”

“You weren’t born yet,” Sayua pointed out. “We were like this all the time.”

“For how long?”

Sayua paused, thinking. “At least fifty years.”

Asuka blanched.

“Don’t worry yourself, Sister dear,” said Hideaki, coming from the forest where he had been setting up for the morning’s training. “You’ll get used to it after a while.”

“Not fucking likely,” she muttered under her breath as Inuyasha and Kagome emerged from their tent, a little disheveled and positively glowing.

“Good morning, little girls,” said Inuyasha jovially, ruffling Asuka’s hair as he walked past her.

“You stink,” she said automatically, “and what’s with the attitude? You’re radiating fucking sunshine.”

Inuyasha smirked at her, grabbing a breakfast bento for himself, and one for Kagome, out of the cooler. He brought them to Kagome, who had seated herself a few feet from Sayua and Asuka. He cracked open the bento, took out the chopsticks, and started feeding his mate. Kagome made little mewing sounds as she opened her mouth to receive the food. Asuka rolled her eyes again.

“Well, little niece,” Inuyasha chuckled, “when you have as excellent a start to the day as we did, you can’t help but be cheery.”

“I’m glad you got your kicks in this morning, Uncle,” said Sayua, rubbing down her sword with a cloth, making it shine, “because you and Auntie will be too exhausted to do your business tonight.”

Inuyasha burst into fits of laughter. “We’ll see, kiddo.” He turned to Kagome. “All done with your breakfast, mate?” he asked in a gentle tone. She nodded and grinned brightly at him. “Are you thirsty?”

She kissed his nose and made to stand. He gripped her hand, but she said, “You eat. I’ll get us some water,” and he let go of her hand. His eyes followed her hungrily as she moved across the campsite. “I can feel your eyes on me, you lecher,” she commented without turning her head.

“Then wear something that covers your ass more, mate,” he retorted, turning back to his bento with gusto. “Those shorts don’t leave much to the imagination.”

“It’s July, dog boy,” she shot back, returning and tossing a water at him. He caught it deftly with one hand, chopsticks still in the other. “Stop drooling and finish your breakfast.”

“Honestly,” muttered Asuka under her breath. Sayua and Hideaki roared with laughter as Inuyasha’s ears flattened against his head and he ate sullenly.

“Where are Rin and Sesshomaru?” asked Kagome, settling back beside Inuyasha. She had taken several waters from the cooler and was filling her pack with extras.

“My Lord Father had some business to attend to today,” Sayua said, “and my Lady Mother decided to return to the manor with him.”

“Mother doesn’t exactly love the wilderness,” added Asuka. “She’s a little too accustomed to the rights and privileges afforded the Lady of the West.”

“She was always so patient with Sesshomaru when she was a little girl,” Kagome observed. "He often left her on her own, and she just waited for him to return, as happy as she could be."

“I think children can survive anywhere,” Asuka noted. “Mother has changed in the past 500 years, Auntie.”

Kagome was quiet. Asuka was right. Rin had grown up, mated, and borne two children. She had spent most of the last 500 years as the Lady of the West. But Kagome still saw her as the cheery little girl who would follow Sesshomaru to the ends of the earth, who would wait patiently for days at a time when he would leave her with Jaken and A-Un, and they had protected her in his absence. Again she was struck by how much things had changed; even though she had lived most of her life during the modern era, she couldn’t help but think about the passage of time, and about how much of history she had missed. She wanted to know what had changed since Sengoku Jidai for youkai and for humans, and why each had progressed in the way that they had.

“All right, you two,” said Hideaki, rising to his feet and leaning heavily on his father’s staff, “let’s move out. Make sure you have snacks and water, and your weapons.”

Inuyasha went to the tent to grab his Tetsusaiga and Kagome’s bow and quiver; her knife was already sheathed at her hip. Kagome pulled some energy bars and fruit from the cooler and added them to her pack. She took her bow and quiver from Inuyasha; they turned to Hideaki, armed and ready.

* * *

Hideaki had prepared a small clearing about a half mile from the campsite for their training ground. He’d set up several archery targets around the clearing, woven in and among the trees, logs, and bushes. Inuyasha grunted, instantly recognizing this as an obstacle course of sorts for Kagome. He could tackle the course easily, but he was curious to see how they were going to direct Kagome. He saw her face taking in the scene, calm and resolute.

“The targets go fairly deep in the woods past here,” Hideaki commented. “You will have to make your way through, shoot the targets, move on quickly, and dodge attacks.” He turned to Kagome. “Sayua and Asuka are hiding out there, waiting for you. They won’t attack you, but their goal is to try and keep you from getting off a shot. At this point, you won’t use your knife, but instead try to dodge and shoot. That’s all.” He turned to Inuyasha. “You’re in charge. Lead her to each target…but be careful not to lose her.”

Inuyasha gave a short nod, and turned to Kagome. “Ready, mate?” he asked her.

She hefted the bow from over her shoulder and held it steady in her left hand. “I’m ready.”

Inuyasha bounced up and down several times, building momentum, then took off into the woods. Kagome followed him, weaving in and out of the forest undergrowth, pulling off a shot that hit each target square in the bullseye. When Sayua leapt out from the trees at her, Inuyasha growled warningly, but Kagome merely ducked under Sayua’s slashing sword and pulled off a shot while falling to the side. Asuka dropped from the trees, attempting to pin her, but Kagome dodged, rolling and nocking her arrow quickly, shooting from her knees.

Again and again they went through this process, for several hours, until Hideaki motioned that it was time to take a break. Kagome was grateful; she had sweat through her tank top completely, her gym shorts were damp, and even her feet felt gross and sticky. She dropped onto a rock and popped open a bottle of water, drinking gratefully.

“You did well, Auntie,” said Sayua, crouching beside Kagome. “Your reflexes are excellent, although we need to work on building your stamina. You were slowing down quite a bit at the end.”

“It might be time for a running program,” Asuka added. “How would you feel about that?”

Kagome’s mouth pulled away from her water bottle with a pop. “I hate it,” she replied honestly. “I’m not a runner.”

“It will help, Auntie,” insisted Asuka. “How about if we mix it with a swimming program? You could alternate. We have access to a pool you could use. It would ease the pressure on your joints if we mix things up a bit.”

“That would really help develop your stamina in a more well-rounded way,” Hideaki added.

Kagome took a few deep gulps of air, feeling refreshed despite the humidity. She turned to her mate. “What do you think, Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha considered her question. He knew that it really meant: _are you willing to train with me_?

He sighed. He knew this wasn’t exactly her forte, but maybe if he did it with her, she might be more willing. “Sure,” he said at last. The grin she rewarded him with made it worth it.

“We have an hour until lunch,” Asuka said suddenly. “Come on, Auntie, you’re with me.”

“Uncle, you’re with us,” Sayua added. “We’re going to work on camouflaging your youki for a bit.”

“What are we going to do?” Kagome asked, suddenly feeling very nervous.

“Simple,” Asuka replied. “We’re going to work on your core.”

“Sit ups?” groaned Kagome.

“Oh, Auntie,” grinned Asuka, “you have no idea.”

* * *

_Everything hurt_. _Everything fucking hurt_.

It was all Kagome could do to put one foot in front of the other as she dredged her way back to camp. Asuka had put her through the wringer; hours of planks and push-ups and sit-ups and knee raises and burpees and Kagome was ready to collapse. Asuka was delighted with Kagome’s efforts, and proclaimed that the core workout would become a regular part of Kagome’s training. Kagome almost would have rather run over the mountain again with both hers and Inuyasha’s packs full than do that workout again. She fought to keep her eyes open for the third straight day.

“What the fuck did you do to my mate?” Kagome heard Inuyasha’s voice coming from somewhere close to her. “She’s practically sleepwalking! I could feel her pain and exhaustion from the other side of the mountain!”

“Relax, Uncle,” Asuka replied easily. “It was a bit of an intense workout, but Auntie did well. Didn’t you, Auntie?” she nudged Kagome in the ribs, and Kagome would have promptly crumbled to the ground had Inuyasha not caught her. He swung her up into his arms.

“She’s human, Niece,” Inuyasha growled. “You can’t train her like a hanyou!”

“I’m stronger than you think, Inuyasha,” mumbled Kagome into his chest. “It was good. I’m gonna need a massage tonight.”

“You’ll get more than a massage, wench,” Inuyasha said, nuzzling her cheek. “I’m getting you the fuck out of here.”

“Not so fast, Inuyasha-sama,” said Hideaki, coming up behind him with Sayua at his heels. “We’ll go back to the compound tomorrow morning. Tonight, we rest and we meditate.”

“Fuck you and your meditation! We leave now!”

“ _Inuyasha_ ,” groaned Kagome. “I’m too tired to go anywhere. Let’s just go to the tent. You can rub me down. Tomorrow I want a bath in a hot spring.”

“You’ll get it too, Auntie,” said Asuka, grinning. “You kicked ass today.”

“Damn right I did,” Kagome grumbled. “And soon I’ll be able to kick your ass, too.”

“Not so fast, Sasuke,” Asuka retorted, chuckling. “One step at a time. Let Uncle take you back to camp so you can rest.”

Inuyasha carried Kagome close as they trudged back to the campsite, the group falling into an amiable silence. He buried his face in her hair, scenting her sweat, mixed with a woodsy smell that drove him wild. She let out a little moan and put her arms around his neck, nuzzling his mark with her nose. He wished she wasn’t so tired…he was exhilarated from the day of sparring with his niece and the monk.

It was moments like this that reminded him that she was all human, while he was only half. He didn’t get tired like she did; it took a lot more for his body to give out; he could train for days on end without stopping; he was stronger; he thrived on the bloodlust of battle. Feeling the fragility of her body next to his—the way he could feel the bones in her wrists as they lay languidly about his neck, the way he could feel her heart beating through her beautiful chest, and the way her eyelids shone translucent against her eyelashes—reminded him of how much he needed to protect her, but also how much she needed to get stronger so she could protect herself. While his youki wanted to swirl around her and protect her, his human side respected her desire to train and build her abilities. And, if he really dug deep, his youki respected it, too.

* * *

Far away, in the mountains of Ibaraki, the bear youkai Hokutou sat in his den, sharpening his claws, thinking of revenge.

He’d been in the youkai stadium when the half-breed Inuyasha murdered his brother, Ussuri, Lord of the East, all over some silly human miko who the half-breed was planning to mate. He’d heard the remaining Lords offer Inuyasha his brother’s title, and heard Inuyasha foolishly turn it down. Hokutou laughed to himself, picking at the tips of his claws carefully. How dare the half-breed turn down such an illustrious position, even if it should have been Hokutou’s? While it was true his brother had not yet named him heir, it would only have been a matter of time before he did so. If the half-breed had taken the Lordship, Hokutou would have hunted him down and killed him.

And now that the half-breed and his little miko had also murdered his best friend, Kurokama, he would do it, anyway.

“My Lord,” said one of the bears outside the den. Hokutou looked up.

“Don’t call me that,” he said sharply, then paused, smiling. “Not yet, anyway.”

“There is someone here to see you,” the sentry bear replied. “A woman.”

“A woman?” he asked. Then, he flicked his claw in the direction of the entry. “Let her in.”

The sentry bear stepped aside, and a small woman entered the den. She wore a hooded cloak, and removed the hood when she crossed the threshold. She appeared human, but Hokutou suspected that she was not. “Who are you?” he asked roughly, flicking his claws against each other, making a nasty clicking sound.

“My Lord Hokutou,” she said, bowing, “rightful Lord of the East.”

“Whatever,” he answered flippantly. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Someone who can help you,” she replied softly. She held out two ofudas. “Do you know what these are?”

He glanced at them, then looked away. “Ofudas, of course.”

She smiled; Hokutou hated to admit it, but her smile gave him chills. Who the fuck was she?

“Not just any ofudas, my Lord,” she said. “Do you know how your comrade Kurokama restrained the miko Kagome Hirguashi?” His interest now piqued, he shook his head. Her black eyes glistened in the darkness. “These ofudas have the power to both bind a spiritual person, like a monk or a priestess, and seal away their spiritual power,” she explained.

Hokutou raised his head, now fully listening.

“What do you propose, woman?” he asked, drooling at the expectations of her reply.

“We have a way to eliminate the miko and the hanyou, at once,” she answered. “How would you feel about starting a war?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Asuka calls Kagome "Sasuke," she's of course referring to the famous show, Ninja Warrior, which is called "Sasuke" in Japan :)


	26. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's worse than talking about sex with your mom? Telling her you've had sex. With your mate there for almost all of that whole awkward conversation.
> 
> Also: Inuyasha makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime or manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Welcome back! Today's update is my answer to the age-old question: how would Mrs. Higurashi, who is bothered by literally nothing in the galaxy, react upon finding out her underage daughter is mated to a half-demon? Does she really want those grandbabies with dog ears? (Answer to the second question: of course she does!)
> 
> As always, thank you do much for reading, and enjoy <3

The moment Kagome had been dreading for the past week. It was here. It was now.

And she wanted to throw up.

The service car left her with Inuyasha at the base of the shrine steps. He could feel the nervousness radiating off her. Her aura crackled a dull pink.

“You’re scared. It’s showing,” he whispered, trying to be cute.

She let out a sound that was half laugh and half sob. “I’m terrified.”

“What do you want to do, mate?” His voice was gentle.

She hesitated. “I…don’t know?” She grabbed his hand. “We’ll have to tell my mom. I want to get birth control. I could do it without her, but I don’t feel comfortable lying about that to her.”

“I don’t feel comfortable lying to her about it, either.” In fact, his chest felt absolutely fucking tight at the thought of lying to Kagome’s mother, who had been so kind to them both, who let him call her _Mama_.

“But let’s maybe not tell my grandfather or Souta,” she added, smiling grimly.

He chuckled and kissed her forehead. “I’m fine with that.”

She sighed and hefted her bow and quiver over her shoulder. “Ready?”

He squeezed her hand and picked up their bag with his other hand. “Ready.”

The climb up the shrine steps had never felt so long. It was partially because of how exhausted their bodies were from the days of intense training, but it was also because they knew that at the top of the stairs, they had to face something they weren’t quite sure how to face. Inuyasha rubbed the back of Kagome’s hand with his thumb, trying to reassure her. The days of training, especially their experience in the cave, showed him that he needed to put Kagome’s needs and feelings first. Normally, he would be bragging to everyone about their mating, or at least not caring who knew—like he had with his own family. But Kagome’s family was different. They were human. They didn’t understand inu youkai mating culture. They didn’t understand why Inuyasha and Kagome might want to mate so young.

And fuck it all, he knew they were young! But she’d loved him for over two years. She’d given him everything. It was time for him to be a man and give her something back. His youki demanded he do this for her. After all this time, he was finally learning what it meant to be in love, and to be loved. He wanted to shout that he loved her from the rooftop of the shrine house, from the rooftop of his bastard brother’s manor, from every single rooftop in Tokyo. He wanted to give her the whole fucking world. He just hoped Kagome’s mother would understand that.

They stopped before the door. Kagome looked at Inuyasha; he gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile. She slid the door open. “Mama?” They stepped into the living room and put down their gear.

“In the kitchen, dear,” Mrs. Higurashi called back.

Inuyasha and Kagome set their belongings down in the genkan and took off their shoes. They made their way to the doorway of the kitchen, hovering awkwardly.

“Hello, you two,” Mrs. Higurashi said without looking up, busily washing up the dishes. “How was your trip?” She turned around and saw them still in the doorway. She paused, dish in one hand, sponge in the other, water and soap dripping all over the floor.

“Oh,” she said. “Well.”

“Mama?” Kagome said.

Mrs. Higurashi sighed. She looked at Inuyasha. “When I suggested getting you two a bigger bed, I wasn’t exactly implying that you would use it.”

Inuyasha flushed the color of his blood-red t-shirt. Kagome ducked behind him in humiliation.

Mrs. Higurashi put her dish in the drying rack and the sponge in the sink. She nodded to the table. “Sit,” she said. Nervously, Inuyasha and Kagome shuffled to the table and sat, not touching. Mrs. Higurashi pulled out some teacups and set them down on the table. “I have some tea steeped,” she commented. “Let me pour.” She poured three steaming cups of tea, put the kettle aside, and sat down.

Mrs. Higurashi lifted the teacup to her lips, blew gently on the hot tea, and took a small sip. She set the tea down and turned to her daughter and Inuyasha.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” she said finally.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha. He gave a small nod.

“I know—I know that we had agreed to wait until we got married,” Kagome said. “But, Mama, I have been in love with him for over two years. His brother put a hole in his gut. He has almost died on me—I have almost died on him! More than once! We have literally been to hell and back. We have been through _so much_. Mama, _please_ ,” Kagome implored when Mrs. Higurashi started to reply. “I know you understand what love is. I know you do.”

Mrs. Higurashi closed her mouth, smiling sadly. She turned to Inuyasha. “I thought we had an understanding, _musuko_ ,” she said quietly.

Inuyasha blushed at the term of endearment, but held fast to his original thought. “Kagome is a woman,” Inuyasha said simply. “She knows what she wants. She knows her own mind.” He paused and reached for Kagome’s hand, bringing it to the tabletop in a sign of solidarity. “Things have happened. Her life has been in danger, even here. And it may continue to be in danger. Oba-sama—” he made the split decision to use the honorific “—we are stronger together. I can afford her protections as her mate. And, if I may speak frankly…” Mrs. Higurashi nodded. Inuyasha took a deep breath. “I love your daughter. I love her with everything that I am. With everything in my heart. My heart has been full of only her for longer than I was willing to admit. And I don’t want to waste any more time.” He looked at Kagome; her chocolate eyes were shining with the depths of her love for him. He smiled and squeezed her hand. “ _We_ don’t want to waste any more time.”

Mrs. Higurashi listened carefully to them both. She sighed, sipping her tea quietly. Now Kagome was squeezing Inuyasha’s hand so tight Inuyasha thought she might squeeze it right off. _So much for needing more intense training_ , he thought with an inward chuckle.

“Thank you,” Mrs. Higurashi said at last, “for not lying to me. For treating this situation like adults. Because from what I understand about inu youkai culture, you’re now adults. Is that correct?” she asked Inuyasha.

He looked at her, slightly confused. “Um…yes and no. But if we’re comparing to what I know of human culture, technically, yes?”

She nodded. “That answer is acceptable,” she said, sounding too much like Sesshomaru for Inuyasha’s liking. “Have you thought about what comes next?”

“We have,” Kagome said immediately. “I’d like to go to the doctor to get birth control. Inuyasha can mostly tell…” She blushed. This was too much to say to her mother. “But I would like to have extra protection. And we want to move up the wedding. Because honestly, I don’t want to hide this. I really don’t. My birthday is soon. I’ll be 18. And like Inuyasha said: we’ve been through _so much_. It’s made us realize that it’s silly for us to wait for what we want. We want to be with each other. _Please,_ Mama,” Kagome implored. “ _Please_.” She looked at her mother, tears brimming in her eyes.

Mrs. Higurashi took another sip of tea. “It’s true that you two have been through more than anyone your age should have to go through.” She looked hard at her daughter, who held her gaze steadily, looking her mother evenly in the eyes. “And maybe you have had to grow up faster than I would have liked. In retrospect, maybe letting you go to the Sengoku Jidai wasn’t the best choice. But I let you do it.” She paused, taking another sip of tea. “In that time period, it wouldn’t be unusual for you to be married, possibly have children.” She now turned her gaze to both of them. “But this is _not_ Sengoku Jidai, and I _will_ have you act in manner that is appropriate to this house. And we _cannot_ tell your grandfather or Souta. Not until the wedding, anyway.”

Inuyasha and Kagome both bowed their heads. “We understand, Mama,” Kagome said.

“What can we do?” Inuyasha asked.

“For now, nothing,” Mrs. Higurashi said. “But we should start to think about what your lives will be like after you marry. Are you still planning to stay here?”

“I would really like to,” Inuyasha replied quickly. “You have done so much for me, and staying here, I can help. We can eventually run the shrine, if my—if Kagome agrees. And being near the Goshinboku and the well…they bring me comfort. They keep me grounded, just like Kagome keeps me grounded.” Kagome flashed him a small smile. “But you are right; it’s not fair for humans to live with a mated youkai couple, even if the youkai is a hanyou. If it’s all right with you, I’d like for all three of us to talk with my brother about making changes to the layout of the shrine. Perhaps we can have some land for a small home on the property? We don’t need a lot of space,” Inuyasha added, “and it would be ours.”

Mrs. Higurashi drained her teacup and set it back on the table. “This gives me a lot to think about,” she said thoughtfully. “I appreciate how much you’ve both thought about not just the act of mating, but what it’s going to mean and how it will affect all of our lives. You’re right. This will change things for you. And I’m glad that you feel as though this will give you a deeper connection that may help protect Kagome. But this _cannot_ affect your schooling or your training. And both of you will still go to university. Is that understood?” They both nodded. “Then, Inuyasha, perhaps you can see if Jii-chan needs some help out in the storage shed?” Inuyasha nodded and rose. He gave Kagome a quick kiss on the forehead and left the kitchen to head outside. Mrs. Higurashi turned to Kagome.

“We have a few things to discuss, Kagome,” said Mrs. Higurashi, not unkindly.

Kagome flushed. “Yes, Mama.”

“You’re sure about this, dear?”

Kagome smiled. “Oh, yes, Mama. I’ve never been surer of anything.”

“You know this is…” Mrs. Higurashi struggled to find the word.

“Forever?” Mrs. Higurashi nodded. Kagome smiled. “Mama, I would only do this if it _were_ forever. I never want to be without him. I never want him to be without me. And now, we’ll be together always.”

“What about your schoolwork?”

“I promise not to let anything interfere with my graduating high school and going to college,” Kagome assured her. “Don’t worry about that.”

“And, I heard you mention protection?” Mrs. Higurashi didn’t seem like she wanted to ask that question, nor did it seem like she wanted a response.

“I’ll call the doctor tomorrow to make an appointment. I’ll get an exam and discuss my options for birth control.”

“Very good.” Mrs. Higurashi paused. “Can I see?”

“See, what?”

Mrs. Higurashi adjusted in her seat. “Your mark.”

“Oh!” Kagome blushed, but pulled aside her t-shirt and bra strap so her mother could see the mark.

“A blood-red crescent moon with a pink aura,” Mrs. Higurashi observed. “It’s—kind of perfect.”

Kagome positively glowed. Mrs. Higurashi felt a piece of her heart fall away slightly. Kagome would never be fully hers again.

Mrs. Higurashi let out a long breath. “One last thing, dear.”

Kagome looked up. “Yes, Mama?”

Mrs. Higurashi turned just the tiniest bit pink. “Until we sort out the living situation, please keep things down in the bedroom?”

Kagome’s face rivaled a soft, sweet tomato. “Okay, Mama,” she muttered, wanting to crawl under the table and absolutely fucking _die_.

* * *

Every day, Kagome and Inuyasha went to the manor to continue the training that they had started on their trip—the trip where they became mates. Inuyasha was learning to mask his youki. Kagome was learning to strengthen her body and her mind. The days were long, and intense. But for the first time in her life, Kagome had core muscles that she could feel, if not see, and Inuyasha could almost completely hide his youki from the others. This resulted in him skulking around the manor, leaping out, and scaring the absolute crap out of Kagome, Hideaki, and his nieces. He only did it to Kagome once before she threatened to S-I-T him, but he particularly delighted in doing this to his nieces. Inuyasha figured that after they got him and Kagome at the Hida compound, he owed them a few.

In the afternoons, Inuyasha took Kagome to kyudo practice. Suzuki-sensei continued to glower at Inuyasha as he lounged carelessly on the bleachers, but she kept her opinions to herself and took out her frustration on Kagome. She drilled Kagome on the hassetsu relentlessly, critiquing every step, every movement of her wrist, every position of her bow. Kagome spent most of the practices nearly in tears, and although Inuyasha appeared relaxed and careless on the outside, on the inside, he was increasingly infuriated with the kyudo coach and her intentions.

“I know she rides me hard, anata,” Kagome said over and over to him, “but it’s going to be worth it, you’ll see.”

She was right. At the first tournament, she placed first in distance, as usual, but qualified for the finals in technique for the first time. She placed sixth, and although Suzuki-sensei was scowling at her, Kagome couldn’t help but feel pleased with herself. And at the second tournament, she managed to place third in technique. Even Suzuki-sensei couldn’t object to that finish.

With September came the new school semester and Kagome’s birthday. She was turning 18, and while she still had two years before she could legally marry Inuyasha without parental permission, Inuyasha decided to speed up the process. He had to talk to her mother, and to his brother, and hopefully he’d be able to give Kagome the best birthday present ever.

He approached Mrs. Higurashi first. Before he could talk to Sesshomaru and Rin about being witnesses, he needed her permission to marry Kagome. He’d been dreading the day he and Kagome had come home after mating, but he quickly realized it was nothing compared to the nervousness he felt now. Kagome was her world, her everything…he recognized the closeness the two women shared, and he had to navigate that carefully if he had a chance of convincing Kagome’s mother to grant permission.

He decided to talk with Mrs. Higurashi one afternoon while Kagome was at kyudo practice. He dropped Kagome off, came up with an excuse about running some errands, and rushed over to the shrine. He found Mrs. Higurashi sweeping the courtyard; it was hot, even for August, and the dust and debris laid thick over the flagstones.

“Mama?” Inuyasha said hesitantly.

Mrs. Higurashi looked up. “Inuyasha-kun,” she said, surprised. “Shouldn’t you be at practice with Kagome?”

“I’m sure that Suzuki-sensei could do without my presence for an hour or so,” he replied, smiling despite his nervousness. “Can we talk? Under the Goshinboku?”

Mrs. Higurashi nodded and followed him to the bench under the tree. She laid her broom down. “It must be serious if you want to talk with me here,” she said.

Inuyasha gulped. “It is,” he told her. “It’s about Kagome…and me.”

Mrs. Higurashi looked surprised. “Inuyasha-kun,” she said, her face lined with concern, “has something happened?”

Inuyasha sat back and waved his arms, his ears twitching. “Nothing like what you’re thinking,” he answered. “It’s about…well.” _Fuck._ He was having trouble finding the right words.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “Take your time,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He smiled slowly in return, and took a deep breath. He looked up at the Goshinboku. “This tree,” he said, “has been a constant in your life, like it has in mine, right?”

“Yes,” Mrs. Higurashi nodded. “This is where Kagome’s father proposed to me. And for every major family event, we make sure to capture a photo of it with this tree in the background.”

“This tree is special to us—to Kagome and me—as well,” he said. “It’s where we first met. It’s where we decided to be mates. And now…” he closed his eyes, holding onto his strength. “It’s where I ask you for permission to marry Kagome. On her birthday. Where hopefully we will have another picture to add to the family collection.”

Mrs. Higurashi smiled again. “You already have my permission, Inuyasha-kun,” she said kindly.

“I know,” he replied, “and I’m grateful. But I want to have all the paperwork ready to go so we can file it and be married.”

“You want to do this so soon?” Mrs. Higurashi asked, surprised.

He nodded. “I do. I don’t think it’s fair to Kagome to have to hide our relationship from her family and friends. I know you wanted us to wait until she graduates, but I think it’s better we do this now, so it’s not hanging over our heads. She’ll be able to better focus if she’s not thinking about when and how we’re going to get married, and if she's not worried about letting news of our mating slip. It’s only a matter of time before Ojiji or Souta see her mark. I guess we could say it’s a tattoo, but somehow I don’t think Ojiji would like that any better.”

“I appreciate your coming to me first,” Mrs. Higurashi replied, laughing lightly. “You are right; you need to be married before Jii-chan sees your marks. But you also know that he will want a Shinto ceremony.”  
  
“I also know that it’s not necessary,” Inuyasha countered gently. “We can bring the paperwork to the Ward office and be married. We can do the Shinto ceremony whenever. Doing it this way will avoid a lot of fanfare; neither of us want that. We just want to be together.”

“Does Kagome want to wear shiromuku? Have you asked her?”

“I don’t know, but if she does, we’ll get her one and she can wear it for the Shinto ceremony,” Inuyasha replied. “I know it will be expensive, but I think as Prince of the West I can swing it.” He chuckled. “And I’m sure Sesshomaru has a hakama I’ll be able to wear. If not, I’ll get one. We can invite the family to the Shinto ceremony for a small reception, but I think we’d both like to keep it small.”

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. “Who will you get to serve as witnesses?”

“I will ask my brother and Rin to serve as witnesses,” he said, suddenly standing and bowing. “If you will…give us your written consent to allow Kagome and I to be married, that is.”

“I am happy to do that,” she replied, rising as well. She held Inuyasha gently by the arms and brought him to full standing again to face her. She reached out and touched his face.

“You’ve lived so much life, Inuyasha-kun,” she said softly. “So much more than my Kagome.”

“The life I’ve lived shows me more than anything how special and perfect she is,” he replied. “I had to live my life to understand that everything I’ve been through, it was to meet her, and be with her, and love her.”

Mrs. Higurashi pulled her future son-in-law into a close hug. “Go talk to your brother, and I’ll start getting the paperwork together. You surprise me, _musuko_ ,” she added lightly, and he flushed with pleasure, “but I’m starting to see that element of surprise both keeps my daughter on her toes and is one of the things she loves most about you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> musuko: son. I thought about having Mrs. Higurashi call Inuyasha giri no musuko (son-in-law), but in human custom, Inuyasha and Kagome aren't married. She has also said that she thinks of him as a son several times before this point. The term youshi could also be used, since that reference an adopted child that is usually male, but I just went with the other.
> 
> Kagome's birthday is definitely a point of contention, since it's never clearly stated when it is. I went with early September because she's supposed to be in school when she first falls down the well, but I fudged it so that the she's maybe not in school yet this time around. New school semesters often start on different dates around the same time each year, so I just imagined that her birthday is a little earlier in September, so she may or may not be in school yet, depending on the year.


	27. Longing, Waiting, Loving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha has a surprise for Kagome. How will she react?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime or manga. Everyone else belongs to me :)
> 
> Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your kind words, kudos, and bookmarks! It has been so motivating to try and get the story finished... I hope that you enjoy this chapter and the direction we'll be heading next! <3

“Inuyasha? Tell me again, where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise. Put something nice on.”

Kagome huffed and puffed, throwing aside her jeans and rifling through her closet some more. Inuyasha stretched out on the bed, watching her with amusement. _She has no fucking clue_ , he thought with glee. He watched her delicious rear sway left and right as she dug through piles of clothes she never folded and put away.

“Too bad all those clothes are in piles, huh?” He couldn’t resist.

She twisted around and hooked a finger at him, her face red with annoyance. “Don’t push me, dog boy,” she said testily. “It’s my birthday, and you don’t get to tease me on my birthday.”

Inuyasha kicked his feet out and jumped up. He took her pointed finger in his hand and kissed it gently. “I know it’s your birthday, koishii,” he said sweetly. He picked her up and moved her out of the way, turning to the closet. “Now,” he continued, rolling up his sleeves, “let me see what I can find for you to wear. Fix your hair and makeup—not that either needs much work. You’re perfect,” he finished, smirking at her.

Kagome threw a slipper at him; he laughed and starting moving aside hangers to find something for her to wear. “You’re impossible,” she muttered, but she followed his directions and went to the bathroom to brush her hair and put on a little makeup.

As soon as she was gone, Inuyasha leapt into action. He crossed the room and laid down flush with the floor, reaching his arm under the bed. He pulled out a large box and placed it on the bed. He opened it, and pulled out a garment bag, which he then put in the closet. He closed the door, returned the box under the bed, and hopped back onto the mattress, stretching out leisurely again, chuckling to himself. She was so clueless!

“Inuyasha, did you find anything for me to wear?” Kagome came back in the room. He looked up at her face; his breath caught.

“You’re gorgeous,” he said. And to him, she was; her hair hung in black and blue tendrils around her face; she had applied a little eye makeup, mascara, and lip gloss. Just enough to accentuate her features.

She blushed. “Stop,” she replied, but she was obviously pleased.

“I didn’t see anything I liked,” he said, feigning boredom, “but maybe you should look one more time in your closet. Maybe you'll see something you missed.”

She scoffed. “Yeah, okay.” She opened the closet door and began pushing through the clothes hanging on the clothes rod. Her hand came to rest on the garment bag. “What’s this?” she asked, pulling it out of the closet. Her eyes narrowed at her mate. “This wasn’t in there before.”

Inuyasha stood up, grinning. “Are you sure?”

She looked at him, confused. “Just what are you planning?” she demanded.

He strode over to the door. “Get dressed,” he told her. “I expect you to be downstairs in fifteen minutes.” He opened the door, went through it, and closed it after himself, leaving Kagome behind him, bewildered.

Out in the hall, he broke out into peals of laughter. She had no idea what was happening, and he loved every second of it.

“Inuyasha-kun?” Mrs. Higurashi said, stopping his laughter mid-breath. “Don’t you need to get dressed?”

“Shit!” he cursed, racing down the hall to Souta’s room. “Oi, move it, runt,” she heard him say to her younger child. “I gotta get ready to take your sister out.”

Fifteen minutes later, Inuyasha was in the living room, pacing and pacing and pacing. Sesshomaru and Rin sat placidly, watching him with amusement. Mrs. Higurashi had completed the paperwork, and brought it in to Sesshomaru. He accepted the papers and filed them away in his briefcase.

“Do you have everything, my Lord?” she asked.

“I do, Oba-sama,” he replied, bowing his head. Rin squealed and clapped her hands.

“We’re just excited to be here and to be a part of this occasion,” she said excitedly.

Sesshomaru yawned. “Speak for yourself,” he said. He turned to his brother. “Do you _have_ to wear a hole in Oba-sama’s floor?”

Inuyasha scowled. “Fuck off, you bastard,” he growled. He looked at Rin and Mrs. Higurashi. “What if she’s figured it out? What if she doesn’t like the dress? What if—”

“Stop with the what if’s, Inuyasha,” said a voice from the stairs. “I know you’re planning something. No, I haven’t figured it out, but I hope it doesn’t involve me S-I-T-ing you. Yes, I like the dress, although I suspect you did not pick it out.”

Everyone’s heads swiveled to the stairs. Everyone’s reaction was different.

Mrs. Higurashi’s heart caught in her throat. This was the last time she would see her daughter as an unmarried woman. Her heart threatened to pull away from her chest; she reminded herself that she was gaining a son, not losing her daughter, no matter how hard that was to accept.

Rin grinned excitedly. Her childhood friend—who protected her, who saved her—would now finally be her sister, in every sense possible.

Sesshomaru, still bored, showed the mildest of interest in Inuyasha’s choice of clothing for his mate. Maybe his brother wasn’t a total fool.

Inuyasha stopped in his tracks. He had never seen anything so beautiful. He took a deep breath once…twice…three times, feeling his heartbeat speed up and then slow down. He closed his eyes; he opened his eyes. She was still there.

“Go to her,” he whispered to himself. “Give her the gift, and go to her.”

He took another deep breath and turned to Rin. She smiled and handed him a small package. He crossed the room and met Kagome at the bottom of the stairs.

“Hi,” he said.

She smiled. “Hi.”

He held out the package to her. She looked at it, and gasped, looking up at him with a surprised face. “Just what are you planning?” she asked again.

He opened the box and pulled out a corsage made of red, yellow, and white tsubaki flowers. “May I?” he asked. She nodded breathlessly. He slipped the corsage over her wrist and took her hand with one of his own. With his other hand, he gestured to the flowers.

“White.” He pointed to the white tsubaki. “How long we have waited to be together.”

“Yellow.” He moved onto the yellow tsubaki. “How much we have longed for this moment.”

“Red.” He saved those for the end. “How much I love you.”

She looked up into his face, her eyes shining. “Inuyasha.”

He kissed her lightly and, her hand still in his, led her to the living room.

“Rin? Sesshomaru?” Kagome looked them, surprised, then back to Inuyasha. “Are you taking me somewhere for dinner? Is that why I’m dressed like this?”

He pulled back to hold her at arm’s length, surveying her lovingly. The two-tone dress she wore complemented the corsage perfectly. It was a boat neck with three-quarter sleeves, cut low in the back. The top material was a creamy, light knit that culminated in a band about her waist. The bottom was a stunning magenta tea-length tulle skirt. She wore simple gold ballet flats. She was perfectly covered up, but Inuyasha’s youki was flush with desire at the sight of her in this perfect, beautiful dress.

He smirked, barely hiding his arousal. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes.

“We’re going to dinner, yes,” he said, pulling her close so her arm slipped through his. “But first, we have a stop to make.”

“And we should really get going, little brother,” said Sesshomaru, standing and helping Rin to rise. Mrs. Higurashi handed him the briefcase and bowed. He bowed back. Rin took Mrs. Higurashi’s hands warmly in her own and smiled. Mrs. Higurashi smiled back, a little sadly. She then turned to Inuyasha and Kagome, unshed tears in her eyes.

“Inuyasha-kun,” she said warmly, folding him into her embrace. He hugged her back, relying as always on her calming scent to relax him. She pulled away, everything between them unspoken yet heard. He smiled reassuringly; she squeezed his arm and then turned to her daughter.

“Why are you acting like we’re going off to our deaths or something?” Kagome asked her mother.

Mrs. Higurashi choked back a sob. “My darling girl,” she said, hugging her daughter close. “It’s nothing like that. You’re 18. You’re not my baby anymore.”

“You can vote,” Inuyasha commented with a chuckle.

Mrs. Higuarshi laughed. “You’re that much closer to being an adult, Kagome dear,” she said, kissing her cheek. “Sometimes it’s a little hard to take. Forgive your mother for being nostalgic.”

“Oh, Mama.” Kagome hugged her mother tightly. “I love you.”

“And I love you.” Mrs. Higurashi touched her daughter’s face gently. “Go, have fun.” She looked over Kagome’s shoulder. “Inuyasha-kun,” she said to him. “Take care of her,” she added, that sentiment laden with meaning.

Inuyasha nodded; her words were not lost on him. “I will,” he said simply. Kagome turned to him, a wide smile on her face. He offered his arm. “Ready?” She nodded and took his arm.

“Bye, Mama,” she said over her shoulder, and she and Inuyasha left the house.

Mrs. Higurashi was alone.

She sat down on the living room couch, and took a deep breath. She adjusted to the quiet of the room. She could hear Souta playing video games in his room, and she could hear the rustling of the newspaper as Jii-chan read in his room. There were still people there, but she’d never felt more alone.

“They’re coming back,” Mrs. Higurashi told herself quietly. _But it won’t be the same_.

* * *

The car ride to the Ward office was quiet. Inuyasha held Kagome’s hand, making little circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. He was really fucking nervous. Was this a bad idea? How would she react? Was she going to freak the fuck out and S-I-T him for the first time in months? He looked around the car; Rin was staring out the window, lost in thought. Kagome’s free hand was scrolling through her phone. But Sesshomaru gazed back at him levelly. For some reason, this gave him courage. If Sesshomaru was as bland as ever, things would turn out fine.

They pulled up in front of the office. “We’re here,” Sesshomaru said. Jaken, in his cloaked form, opened the car door. “Lord Sesshomaru,” he squawked. Sesshomaru stepped out first, then took Rin’s hand and helped her out of the car. Inuyasha followed, then held out his hand for Kagome. She stepped out of the car and looked up.

“Where are we?” she asked. She’d never been to the Ward office before.

“Come on,” Sesshomaru said, climbing the steps and holding the door open for everyone. Kagome clung to Inuyasha’s arm. Suddenly, her eyes went wide with recognition.

“This is the Ward office,” she said slowly, taking in the signs indicating the different offices held within the building. “Why…why are we… _OH_.” She stopped. She turned, and looked hard at her mate.

Inuyasha peered into her face. Her expression was unreadable. He looked at Sesshomaru and Rin. Rin was frowning sympathetically; Sesshomaru’s face was neutral, as usual.

“’Gome?” he said quietly. She stared at him with large, unblinking eyes. He tried again. “Mate?”

“You…planned this.” It wasn’t a question.

“I…did?” Even though he did, in fact plan it, suddenly he wasn’t so sure that he should admit to that fact.

Her eyes spun to Sesshomaru and Rin. “And you…knew.”

Rin nodded; Sesshomaru barely blinked.

She turned back to Inuyasha. “And Mama.”

“She signed the permission form. She had to, since you’re not twenty.” He felt his ears flatten against his head, even through his cloaking bracelet.

Kagome looked around at all of them. “So you all…knew? You all…planned this?” Now she was asking questions.

“We did,” Inuyasha said softly. “I know that you don’t like lying to your family and your friends. I know we had talked about moving the wedding up to October or November, but I thought…” He paused. What _had_ he been thinking? “I thought that it might make a nice surprise for your birthday.” He shrank back a little bit to get a full sense of her response.

Kagome looked hard at him. “You thought it would be a nice surprise?” she repeated. Her aura sparked just a bit. He nodded. Her eyes softened and she reached up to caress his cheek.

“It’s the _best_ surprise, anata.”

Inuyasha stared at her, blinking. “Did you just say…?”

She grinned. “I did. It’s the best surprise.”

He picked her up and swung her around, laughing, letting out all his nervous energy. “So why did you…?” he asked, setting her down.

“It’s kind of a big surprise, don’t you think?” she asked playfully. “You have to give a girl a minute or two to process.”

“You didn’t act like this when we decided to mate,” he commented.

“Yeah, because we’d been _talking_ about it for weeks,” she countered. “I know we’ve been talking about getting married, but I was thinking two months from now. Not…this minute.” She turned to Sesshomaru. “I take it that the briefcase has all our paperwork?” she asked him.

“It does,” was the response.

“Then let’s find the office,” Kagome said warmly, her eyes holding Inuyasha’s. He reached out for her hand; she took it. Together they started down the hallway together, Sesshomaru and Rin following.

“See?” Rin whispered to her mate. “It worked out. No matter how you thought it would go.”

Sesshomaru said nothing, but reached out and squeezed her hand.

“Here!” Kagome said excitedly. She opened a door at the end of the hall.

It was a small, dowdy office; a middle-aged man sat behind a small, narrow desk. Mountains of paperwork stacked the multiple inboxes. He was methodically filling out a sheet of paper; the computer screen blinked absently, reflecting the light onto his face.

“Can I help you?” he asked, not looking up. The name plate on the desk read “Shochu Haruki.”

“We’d like to get married, please, sir,” Kagome said.

Shochu-san sighed, and pushed aside his paperwork. “Do you have the necessary documents?”

Sesshomaru took out his briefcase and placed it on the desk. Shochu-san grimaced. Sesshomaru opened the briefcase with a click and pulled out several sheets of paper.

“You will find the _konin todoke_ , the _douisho_ for Higurashi-san, the _koseki tohon_ , our _inkan_ , and their identification. I also have birth certificates for Higurashi-san and my brother.” Sesshomaru handed over the documents.

Shochu-san shuffled through them and looked them over. He smiled. “You’re a little young to be getting married, Higurashi-san,” he said, looking at her seriously.

She smiled. “Maybe so. But I love this man more than anything else. I’ll never want to marry anyone else.” She reached out and grasped Inuyasha’s hand; he looked down at her lovingly. “We’re young, but we’ve been through so much. We don’t want to wait anymore.”

“And you, young man?” Shochu asked Inuyasha. “You’re barely of legal age.”

“I feel the same as Kagome,” Inuyasha said immediately. “We’ve almost lost each other too many times. She is my life; she is my world. I can’t wait to be her husband.” He winked at her; she grinned.

“Well, I guess that’s good enough for me,” Shochu-san said. “Young love, eh?” he said to Sesshomaru, who shrugged. Rin giggled.

“I’ll need you both to sign the _konin todoke_ in front of me with your _inkan_ , please,” he added, sliding the document back to Sesshomaru. He and Rin signed as witnesses and slid the paper back. Shochu-san shuffled the papers all together. “Excellent,” he said. He turned to Inuyasha and Kagome. “Congratulations,” he added. “You’re married.”

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at him, speechless. “That’s it?” Kagome asked.

“That’s it,” Shochu-san said, chuckling. “Here,” he continued, "hold on a moment." He pulled up a screen on his computer and began typing. He at last moved his mouse and clicked it; they could hear a printer working from somewhere. Shochu-san reached under his desk and drew out two sheets of paper.

“This is your _konin juri shomeisho_ ,” he said. “One for me, and one for you.” He handed one document to Inuyasha and added the other to his file. "That'll be 1400 yen," Shochu-san said.

Inuyasha pulled out his wallet, carefully counted out the correct amount, and handed over the money. "Thank you," Shochu-san said, "and many congratulations."

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at the document together. “This is it,” Kagome breathed. “Our marriage certificate.” They looked at each other, grinning.

“Go enjoy your wedding day,” Shochu-san said with a smile. Inuyasha and Kagome rose.

“Thank you, sir,” Kagome said, bowing. Inuyasha bowed as well. “Thank you, so much.”

Shochu-san waved his hand. “It’s no problem. Young love,” he muttered again, this time under his breath. But Kagome noticed he was smiling a little.

Inuyasha took her arm. “Ready, wife?”

Kagome smiled. “Ready, husband.”

They laughed and left the office, Sesshomaru and Rin following.

“I'm glad it worked out, but do you think that they were ready for this?” Rin murmured to her mate.

Sesshomaru shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Symbolism in Inuyasha's corsage for Kagome:  
> White tsubaki: waiting  
> Yellow tsubaki: longing  
> Red tsubaki: love  
> (tsubaki are also known as camellias)
> 
> Documentation needed for marriage in Japan:
> 
> konin todoke: marriage registration form  
> douisho: informed consent form (required for people under the age of 20; Mrs. Higurashi would have signed Kagome's)  
> koseki tohon: family registry  
> inkan (also called a hanko): seal; used in place of a signature  
> konin juri shomeisho: marriage certificate of acceptance (basically, that the government has filed the paperwork and acknowledges the marriage)
> 
> Once you go and file your paperwork, you are for all intents and purposes married. Inuyasha was right in the last chapter; the Shinto ceremony is nice, but not necessary. However, we all know that Jii-chan will insist on one anyway :)
> 
> Thank you again everyone for reading, and I look forward to seeing you all at the next chapter!


	28. Honeymooning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha has some wedding gifts for Kagome. Kagome and Inuyasha enjoy a brief honeymoon, and finally read the letter from the past. Kagome learns something surprising and upsetting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime and/or manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello everyone, and welcome to the next installment of my little story! Thank you again for all the kudos, bookmarks, and of course, the comments. I'm eternally grateful. Please read and enjoy!
> 
> Warning: There's a lemon in the middle section of this chapter.

The wedding dinner was a simple affair. Sesshomaru arranged for them to eat at a traditional Japanese restaurant, making sure they had a room to themselves. Inuyasha and Kagome were surprised to see the rest of their families waiting for them: Sayua, Asuka, and Hideaki, and Mrs. Higurashi, Jii-chan, and Souta. Everyone except for Mrs. Higurashi was shocked to see Inuyasha and Kagome married; Sesshomaru, Rin, and Mrs. Higurashi had kept the secret well. Souta high-fived Inuyasha, while Jii-chan scowled. Sayua and Asuka were ecstatic to welcome their new aunt through the human tradition, while Hideaki vigorously shook Inuyasha’s hand. The dinner party was lively; Sesshomaru kept a steady stream of food coming from the kitchen, while the sake and beer flowed freely (for everyone except for Kagome and Souta). 

Kagome looked around the table. She wasn’t drunk on sake, but she felt incredibly, deliciously warm and happy. No longer having to hide from her family, Inuyasha was embracing all aspects of mating; he fed her, he combed her hair out of her face, he made sure she had enough to drink, he kept a hand on hers almost continuously. To Kagome’s family, he seemed attentive and sweet; to Inuyasha’s family, he seemed a newly mated hanyou.

Once the food slowed down, Inuyasha called for attention from the table. As his family grew quiet, he cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

“I’d like…to thank all of you for being here tonight,” he said. “I know that some of you might feel like this was rushed—” Jii-chan coughed “—but we are ecstatic to have finally taken the steps to be officially married.” He turned to Kagome. “I know our Shinto ceremony hasn’t been planned in detail yet, but I have something for you, and I didn’t want to wait until the ceremony. I want everyone to know we’re married.”

“You mean you want the boys at Auntie’s school to know,” Asuka commented under her breath.

Inuyasha growled lightly, but ignored her. He pulled a small box out of his pocket, and gave it to Kagome. She looked at him inquiringly. He nodded. She opened the box, and gasped. Inside were two rings: one for each of them. Kagome noticed that hers had the same delicate scrolls as her engagement band.

“I told you there was a wedding band, remember?” he said to her.

She smiled. “It’s beautiful. Thank you, Inuyasha.” She removed her engagement ring and held out her left hand. “Put it on me?”

“Kagome, this is highly irregular,” Jii-chan broke in. “I must say that— _ouch!_ ” he glared at Souta, who had kicked him under the table.

Inuyasha took the ring box and removed Kagome’s engagement ring. He slipped the band onto the fourth finger on her left hand, folder her hand over his, and kissed her knuckles. Kagome glowed. She slipped her engagement ring on above the wedding band, and held up her hand, admiring the two rings sparkling in the candlelight from the table.

“Your turn,” she said softly. His ring was a plain white gold. When she held it up to the light, she noticed that the inside was engraved with the date. She smiled and looked at her mother. “I would guess that you had this made, Mama?”

Her mother smiled gently. “It’s what you would have wanted, dear.”

Kagome nodded. “Absolutely.” She took Inuyasha’s left hand in hers, and slipped the ring on his fourth finger. They held their hands together and admired their new rings.

“May I make a toast?” Hideaki interrupted. He raised his glass. “To Inuyasha and Kagome, and the many, _many_ —” he winked at them “—years of happiness ahead.” 

“Kanpai!” everyone shouted.

“Congratulations, wife,” Inuyasha said, eyeing her mischievously over his sake.

“Congratulations, husband,” Kagome replied, her brown eyes dancing back at him.

* * *

_Inuyasha really planned everything so perfectly_ , Kagome thought, rolling around on the massive, soft, king-size bed.

After dinner, Sesshomaru and Rin had put them into a car and sent them off to a hotel for a little “honeymoon time,” as Rin had put it. When they arrived at the hotel and checked into their room, Kagome found that Inuyasha had packed her a bag, and left instructions for the room to be decorated with flowers and chocolates. The flowers were all tsubaki of differing colors, to match her corsage. Inuyasha instructed her to relax on the bed and enjoy some chocolates (which she did) while he puttered around the room, making sure everything was ready. The bathroom had a large soaking tub, which, while she was comfortable on the bed, he promptly filled for her. When it was full, he steered her to the bathroom, leaving her to rinse off and then soak, giving her a little space to decompress and process the day.

In the tub, she sighed and drew herself under the water to her nose, her long hair piled up on her head, a head wrap protecting it from the water. She smiled. It wasn’t a traditional wedding; she knew Jii-chan was probably giving her mother an earful the whole car ride home. But they didn’t need a big, elaborate wedding. Her husband may have been the Prince of the West, but he was still the boy she found sealed to the Goshinboku a little over two years before. He was used to traveling the countryside, hunting and gathering for meals, and grousing about staying in inns, not planning extravagant weddings for hundreds of youkai. Rin would have helped them, sure, and he’d look awfully sexy in a traditional wedding hakama, but he would have chafed against the formalities and maybe gotten cold feet and bolted.

 _No,_ she thought, languidly stretching her arms and legs and letting the hot water massage her muscles, _this was the better way_.

And now they were married.

Becoming mates was of course awesome—Kagome flushed when she thought about that night—but _marriage_. This was the human ritual--her ritual--that bound them to each other. Kagome knew what this meant. Legally and physically, they were inseparable. She closed her eyes and dipped her head back against the edge of the tub, sighing contentedly.

Everything was almost perfect.

A light knock sounded on the bathroom door. “Oi, wife,” Inuyasha said, opening the door gently. “All right in there?”

She chuckled. “Worried about me, husband?”

He made a small sound in his chest. “Don’t need ya drowning in there, wench.” His voice was husky but soft.

She opened the drain and reached out a hand to him. “Help me out?”

Inuyasha quickly crossed the room. He grabbed a fluffy towel from the rack with one hand and helped her to rise with the other. The sight of her, fully nude, her skin glistening from the water, made his breath hitch.

“Fuck,” he whispered, helping her out of the tub. “How did I get so fucking lucky?”

She smiled and let him wrap the towel around her. “I’m the lucky one, mate.” He growled and held her close, rubbing her down with the towel. He nuzzled her mark and she moaned.

“Inu-ya-sha,” she stammered. He kissed her, hard, on the lips.

“Don’t talk,” he said roughly against her mouth.

She pulled away. “Wait,” she said. He cocked his head at her, ears twitching, clearly confused. She laughed and tweaked his ears; he whined under her touch. “Good puppy,” she teased. “There’s something I want to do, first.”

Kagome led him by the hand to the bed. She motioned for him to sit. He perched on the mattress, his ears wagging eagerly. She giggled. He was _so cute_.

She went to the dresser, where her purse was sitting on top. She opened it and removed a slim envelope. She returned to the bed and sat close to Inuyasha.

“Do you know what this is?” she asked him. He took it from her and turned it over in his hands. When he saw the faded writing, he looked up at her in surprise. “Have you been carrying this with you all this time?” he asked.

Kagome nodded. “I’ve been waiting for the right moment to open it.” She hesitated. “I wanted…to wait until we were married,” she said slowly.

“Because we could really do it together,” Inuyasha finished for her. “And it’s when they would have wanted us to read it.”

Kagome smiled and kissed him warmly. He got it.

He handed the letter back to her, and she slid a finger under the top flap. It opened easily. She pulled the letter out slowly, trying not to damage it. Inuyasha slipped an arm around her and pulled her close. Together they read, silently:

_Dear Inuyasha and Kagome,_

_It’s been thirty years since you left us. We spent some time searching—even Kouga came to help us before he mated with Ayame—but neither he, nor Shippo, nor Sesshomaru, could detect either of your scents. Not anywhere. It was then that we knew you were truly gone. Our best thought was that you’d left to go back to Kagome’s time; we hope that’s where you are, and that you are together._

_Life after Naraku has been quiet. We have settled into the village. Kaede lived another five years after you defeated Naraku and destroyed the jewel. She died quietly, knowing that the world would be at relative peace. I took over the duties at the shrine for a number of years, while Sango retired as a demonslayer and gave Kirara to Kohaku. Kohaku became a feared demonslayer and eventually rebuilt the village. He spent most of the early years after Naraku’s death recruiting and training strong fighters. He tried to get Sango to help him, but she was too busy with our family. And I think that she lost a lot of her fire after you left, honestly. (Don’t blame yourselves or take it the wrong way. Kohaku was alive, Naraku was dead. There wasn’t much left to fight for anymore. She was happy to focus on other things.)_

_That’s right! Sango and I eventually married, not too long after you left. We had eight children; six of them are still with us. We lost our oldest daughter, Ichiko, in the plague, and our second son, Sora, to war. Our children are: Ichiko, Itsuki, Hina, Sora, Akari, Yumi, Aiko, and Hideaki. They have bought us so much joy over the passing years. So far we have been blessed with six grandchildren. Our daughter Hina has two sons; our son Itsuki has a son and a daughter; and our daughter Akari also has a son and a daughter. We hope to see more grandchildren someday._

_I’m sure you would like to know what happened to your brother, Inuyasha._ (Inuyasha snorted; Kagome hushed him.) _Sesshomaru mated Rin; they have a daughter, Sayua, who seems to have taken an interest in our youngest son, Hideaki. I had hoped he might follow in my footsteps and take over the shrine, but I suspect that Sayua plans to mate him. Sayua resembles her father more than her mother; she has silver hair like you and your brother, and ears like you, Inuyasha. Her personality is a perfect mix of her parents, but she has a brash streak I can only hope will mellow as she gets older. Hideaki is only fifteen, but headstrong. He looks and acts like me (yes, he inherited my wandering hand). I think a young mating would be good for him, as it will settle him down. Mating an inu hanyou would be plenty for him to handle, in a good way._

_Kagome, Sango misses you everyday. Actually, we miss you both, very much. She is sitting here with me now; she says to tell you that all is well and not to worry about us. She’s right. We’ve really been fine._

_One more thing you might be interested in knowing. Sango and I debated telling you about this in the letter, just in case you came back. But it’s been thirty years. I think it’s time._

_Not long after Kaede died, Shippo left. He claimed he was going off to train, but he never came back. We don’t know what happened to him. Sango suspects that your absence was too much for him to bear, and once Kaede was gone, it was easier for him to leave the village where we had all shared such happy times. I’m inclined to agree with her. Please don’t be upset with us; Sango and Kirara spent some time searching for him, but they weren’t able to turn up anything, save that he did go to the kitsune village to train, but left soon after arriving. You know kitsunes: if they don’t want to be found, they won’t be found. Maybe when he gets wind of your return to your time, he’ll seek you out._

_We may never see you again, but please know that we are happy and safe, and think of you often. You are our family, and we love you. We hope that you are safe, and together, and that you are also able to find your happiness. If you are together, be there for each other, and love each other, as we’ve always known that you do, even if you couldn’t say the words to each other._

_Miroku_

Kagome folded the paper and slipped it back into the envelope. She looked up at Inuyasha, her eyes shining with tears. He hugged her close and kissed the top of her head.

“Maybe this wasn’t the best thing to read on our wedding night,” he mused.

She chuckled sadly. “Do you think he’s all right?”

“Keh. That brat? I’m sure he’s fine, wherever he is,” Inuyasha scoffed.

She sighed. “I’m sorry that I wanted to read this tonight,” she said. “I should have known it wouldn’t all be good news.”

Inuyasha took the envelope from her hands and put it on the bedside table. He took her hands in his own and looked deep into her eyes, holding her gaze. “Did you not read the entire letter?” he asked softly. She looked at him, confused. “They wished that we would find our happiness, and that we would love each other,” he continued. He brushed a lock of hair away from her cheek. “And we did.”

She smiled. “You’re right.” She paused. “Maybe we can try to find out what happened to Shippo?”

He ruffled her hair. “Whatever makes you happy, wife.”

Beaming, she turned suddenly and threw one leg over his lap so she was straddling him. She let her towel fall away so he could get a full look at her, and he drank it in eagerly. Her skin shone a creamy pearl color in the soft glow of the bedside lamp. Her cheeks glowed pink from the heat of the bath water and from her own arousal. 

_Beautiful_ , he thought. He shook his head. “I did get you some lingerie, you know. A little wedding night gift.” He paused. “Maybe you would want to wear it?”

She threw her head back and laughed; a hearty, throaty laugh, her breasts bouncing as she shook. He pulled her close and she gripped his face in her hands, kissing him fully, forcing his lips apart as he granted her permission to explore his mouth with her tongue. She ran her tongue over his fangs, and he groaned.

“Why would I put something on that I would have to take off again?” she murmured, moving her lips up his cheek and then down his neck to his mark. She sucked on it and he howled, burying his face in her breasts. “I’d rather wait for when you least expect it, anata.”

Now it was his turn to laugh; he moved his hand between her legs, feeling her moistness against his light wool pants. She slapped his hand away and moved to unbutton his fly.

“Don’t,” she admonished him. “These pants have to be dry cleaned. We’ll ruin them.”

“Fuck that,” he growled, hitching her up and to the side. He rose up to his knees on the bed so she could slip his pants and boxer briefs down, then he pushed them totally off himself. She reached up and started to unbutton his shirt, slowly, one button at a time, using both hands. “Oi, mate,” he said harshly, straining against his desire, “can you speed it up a bit?”

She looked up at him from under her long eyelashes; her deep brown eyes were devilish. “It’s our wedding night, Inuyasha,” she said slowly. “One. Button. At. A. Time.”

He whined under her ministrations. It was agony waiting for her to finish. When she at last removed his shirt, he reached out to grip her, but she scooted back, wagging a finger at him. “No, no,” she said. “Bad puppy.” Her eyes glinted. “You are going to have to be properly trained.” 

He growled in response, but sat up on his haunches and cocked his head to the side, ears perked up. She got off the bed; he watched her, his ears twitching, as she stalked around the bed. “Here,” she said, pointing to the headboard. “Sit back against that.”

Inuyasha instantly obeyed. He had no idea what she was planning, but whatever it was, he was all for it.

Kagome put her arms down onto the mattress; then one leg; then the other. Once she was on all fours, she moved stealthily towards him. His breath caught in his throat; she looked feral. Her hair fell in blue-black coils around her face. Her eyes gleamed like melted chocolate in the low light. Her beautiful face shone with a slow, ferocious, grin. _I’m rubbing off on her_ , he thought gleefully as his cock throbbed with desire. His youki howled with delight.

She came upon him so that she was once again straddling him. She rubbed up against him; her breasts were flush against his chest, leaving a trail of fire as she moved. He moaned. She felt so fucking good he couldn’t stand it. She let her aura out; it crackled pink against his red youki, swirling around it and massaging it. He and his youki yipped together. She took his lips in hers as she bucked methodically against his hips, moving her center against his cock, both becoming slick with sweat and excitement.

“Mate—the fuck—” Inuyasha gasped out.

“Hush,” she said. She moved higher against him. “Take them,” she said.

She didn’t have to ask him twice. He eagerly attacked her breasts, nipping and sucking the delicate skin, teasing her nipples in his mouth and with his hands. She moaned and fisted her hands in his hair. “That’s—a—good—puppy,” she chuckled between sighs. “You’ve earned a reward.” She reached between them with one hand and gripped his cock with her small fingers; she hissed at its warmth as she slid her hand up and down like a piston. She squeezed a little as she went, and he let out a rumble of pleasure through his chest, nipping the underside of her breast a little harder than he intended. Her sharp intake of breath was accompanied by a sudden heating of her core and a clenching of her thighs as the world exploded around her. She gripped his hair tighter with her other hand and lowered her face into his silver mane, whispering his name and giving him chills.

He felt her wetness coming steadily on his thighs. “Fuck,” he said again. “You’re ready.”

She moved other her hand from his hair, down his chest—he sucked in a breath as her nails lightly scraped his skin—and between her own legs. “You’re so hard,” she whispered, more to herself than to him, and used both her hands to rub their juices together over his cock and her folds. She pulled herself up and hovered over him, lining him up with her entrance. She looked at him with half-lidded eyes; he gazed back at her, his eyes fiery amber. He gasped as she pushed down with one swift movement, taking all of him into her at once.

Slowly, Kagome started to move on him, the physical training she’d done with Asuka the last few weeks paying off. Her thighs were incredibly strong; she was holding herself steady as she rose and fell onto his cock. Her hands gripped his chest; her forehead rested against his. Inuyasha found himself unable to breathe. The control she exerted in the moment had him almost frozen in the feel of Kagome thrusting herself on him. He felt powerless; even though he could crush her in an instant, at this moment, she had rendered any ability he had to move on his own null and void. She could do whatever she wanted and he would be a _very_ willing recipient. She was his wife; his mate; his love.

As though obeying her silent orders, his hands roamed relentlessly over her back, through her hair, then back down her back and over her ass. He moaned when he felt the muscles in her glutes clench and relax. She _had_ gotten so much stronger; he felt it in every thrust, he felt it as he ran his hands over her body, and he felt it in her aura as it caressed and soothed his youki, keeping it from losing control in this deeply passionate and intimate moment. The power in her movements and in her touch was overwhelming his senses. It was all he could do to keep his eyes from rolling back in his head.

He suddenly felt her speeding up, pushing herself up and down faster and faster. She was practically bouncing; she leaned forward, her breath hitching. “I’m close,” she hissed, and released her aura. It swirled around them, sparking passionately. He buried his face in her breasts, inhaling her sweet, musky scent, licking her soft, sweaty skin in the valley. She sighed and reached down in between them to feel him moving in and out of her. They groaned together; he couldn’t believe how forward and sexual she was being. A mated Kagome had been wonderful; a married Kagome was _amazing_.

“Are you ready?” she asked him.

Inuyasha could only grunt. She was wrecking him, over and over, every time she moved. Was this how it felt for her? Was this what he did to her? Because if so…

Fuck.

 _Fuck_.

Suddenly he was seeing stars and he couldn’t fucking believe it. As everything went black, he pulled her close and found his release, howling her name like the inu hanyou he was. She responded immediately, howling out his name in return. As his vision returned, he found himself _laughing_. Actually, really, fucking _laughing and crying_ , all at once as he held Kagome and buried his face in her mark. She hugged him and giggled madly in return.

“Oi, woman,” he rumbled into her neck, “where the _fuck_ did you learn to do that?”

“Did you like it?” she asked him, gently massaging his ears from the base to the tip.

“I’m fucking crying, mate,” he responded, “what do you think?”

She pulled away and looked at him hard. She smiled gently and moved her fingers to wipe away the tears from his eyes. He was still inside her; she refused to let him go.

“Happy wedding day, Inuyasha,” she whispered, cupping his cheeks in her hands and kissing him sweetly.

“Is this what it’s gonna be like to be married to you?” he asked, reaching up to grasp one of her hands in his own. He pulled it to his lips and kissed it. She blinked at him, the hint of a smile playing on her lips. “Because, _fuck_ , woman.” He paused to catch his breath, then realized he had no words.

* * *

Hokutou the bear youkai was impatient. He paced his den, armor clinking as he moved. Fuck. He was fucking ready to move against the hanyou and the miko, but the woman had suggested they wait. They needed more information, she’d said.

Hokutou growled. _Like her fucking name_.

He didn’t like to admit it, but he was worried about the woman. She was clearly some kind of witch, and his bear spies had brought him word of how Kurokama had employed a witch to make him similar ofudas. Kurokuma had paid for his; this woman offered them for free. Which he was happy to accept, of course, but at what price?

His spy, an adolescent bear youkai who was very fast and good at keeping to the shadows, entered Hokutou’s den. Hokutou growled. “Talk to me,” he said.

The young youkai bowed briefly, then stood stock-straight as he began to recount his report. “They are living at the miko’s family shrine,” he stated. “They are protected by a barrier. I would say that it’s to keep out all youkai, but the hanyou and his family are able to come and go as they please. So, we aren’t sure how the barrier works.”

“Noted,” said Hokutou. “What else?”

“The grounds are patrolled regularly by a mix of inu youkai, wolf youkai, and boar youkai,” the spy reported.

Hokutou picked up a rock and hurled it across the den, nearly striking the spy, who, to his credit, didn’t flinch. “Fuck!” he cursed. This was going to make his plan more difficult. A barrier he could probably sort through. The protection of the Lords of the West, North, and South made this tougher.

“You,” he barked at the spy, “bring me your superior.”

The young bear youkai nodded and left. Hokutou began to pace the length of his den again, running his hands through his short fur on top of his head. He had to figure out what to do. If he wanted to kill the half-breed and the miko, he needed to get through the line of defense set up by the remaining lords.

“My Lord?” said a voice from the entryway. “You asked for me?”

Hokutou looked up. “Ah, yes, Dorobo,” he said. “I need more information on the hanyou and miko before we make our move.”

Dorobo offered a slight bow. “What can we do?”

“Your underling has told me that a rotation of inu youkai, boar youkai, and wolf youkai are patrolling the forest outside the shrine grounds.” Dorobo nodded; he’d heard this as well. “I want you to spend more time there. Watch who comes and who goes. Watch when the shifts change. See if there are any times when no one is guarding. We have to figure out when to make our move.” He paused. “I don’t care how long it takes. I need to know their every step, their every plan. Tell me whatever you can. Report back daily for now; we’ll increase the reports as needed.”

“Consider it done, my Lord,” Dorobo bowed again and stepped out of the den. Hokutou could hear him barking orders at the other spies.

Hokutou, meanwhile, stopped his pacing and trailed his claws over the walls of the den, appreciating the high-pitched squeal that emerged and the sparks that shone. His claws were sharp; they were ready; they craved the blood of Inuyasha and Kagome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's next for Inuyasha and Kagome? How will she cope with the news of the missing Shippo? When and how will Hokutou make his move? Stay tuned for the next update!
> 
> And as always, thank you for reading <3


	29. Searches and Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha decides to help Kagome. Kagome impresses him with her physical skills. Sesshomaru reflects on the impact Kagome has had on his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime and/or manga. The little girls and the monk are mine, though :)
> 
> Hello everyone! It's been a few days, and I apologize...things are crazy here as we transition to online teaching and try to wrap up before our extended spring break. I also went back and reread this chapter and made some extensive edits, including a lemon in the last section (because Inuyasha and Kagome can't help themselves, haha), so consider yourselves warned ^_^
> 
> That being said, I really hope you enjoy! Lots of fun little things happening in this (extended!) chapter to move along the plot and characters.

Inuyasha should have expected Kagome to be up with the dawn the day after their wedding. He heard her before he saw her; he felt her bouncing around on the bed as she tossed and turned; he felt her hands moving gently up and down his back and around to his front; he heard the hitch in her breath as she tried to roll him over; and he saw her face, peering down at his expectantly, as he slowly opened one golden eye.

“Mate,” he grumbled, “what in blazes are you doing?”

Her fingers traced his shoulder blades. “Nothing.” Her voice was light.

He reached up and wrestled her over him. “It’s not nothing, woman.” He was waking up more quickly than he had anticipated as she continued to ghost her fingers over his back and chest. She kissed him, again lightly, and nuzzled his cheek.

“Are you looking for a repeat of last night?” he asked huskily.

She pulled back a little. “Maybe.”

Inuyasha propped himself up on his elbows. “Maybe?”

Kagome’s fingers didn’t stop moving. “I wanted—to talk to you first.”

“You don’t need to tempt me with sex to get me to talk to you, ‘Gome,” he said. He paused. “Unless…unless something’s wrong.”

Now she stopped touching him. “Something _is_ wrong?” he asked, horrified.

“I’d—like to start looking for Shippo,” she said. “As soon as possible.”

He sighed. He’d expected this discussion last night, not this morning. “Koishii, I don’t know if there’s anything we can do,” he said softly. “If the runt doesn’t want to be found, we’re not gonna be able to find him.”

“I know that,” she answered stubbornly. “But we _left_ him, Inuyasha. He was like our son. And we _left!_ ” Her voice wobbled.

“It’s not like we had a choice, mate,” he said flatly. “Don’t try to make this out to be something we did to him. We all went into that final battle together, and we all knew the risks.”

“He was just a little kid!” Kagome protested.

“That doesn’t matter,” Inuyasha replied harshly. “He knew what we were up against. He knew the risks, mate,” he said again, then softly repeated, “we all knew the risks.”

“I still want to look for him,” she said.

Inuyasha sat up fully and took her into his arms. “Then we will,” he promised. “But, you have to let me do this my way.”

She snorted. “And what does that mean? Are you going to sniff him out?”

He rolled his eyes. “Funny from someone who likes to call me ‘dog boy.’” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll ask my bastard brother for help.”

Now it was Kagome’s turn to roll her eyes. “Sesshomaru won’t help us.”

“I’m the Prince of the West, mate,” he said, his eyes sparkling, “I think that he owes me. Basically forever.”

She squealed and kissed him. “Thank you, Inuyasha.”

He flipped her over and licked her mark. She moaned. “Oh, you’re gonna thank me for this one, mate.” His voice was husky and his eyes dropped to a dark, burning amber. “Over… and over.”

* * *

True to his word, as soon as they came back from their mini honeymoon, Inuyasha shut himself in Sesshomaru’s study and began the search for Shippo. He quickly learned that Sesshomaru had a team of private investigators with links to the human police, demonslayers, and the seedy underbelly of youkai life. He spent several days talking with them, going over particulars of Shippo’s case and seeing if there was any news of a kitsune matching his description popping up over the years. The first trails they found ran cold, and the investigators told him the same thing Miroku had said in his letter: if a kitsune doesn’t want to be found, it’s virtually impossible to find him. Sesshomaru allowed Inuyasha to put two of his investigators on the case fully, but only for a few weeks. If they couldn’t find anything, Sesshomaru would consider the case cold and pull his people.

Kagome took the news as well as could be expected. Truth be told, she had secretly wondered why no one had told Shippo of their arrival on the other side of the well, in this time, or why he hadn’t come seeking them out. Now she knew: it was because no one knew where he was to tell him. She thought about asking Kouga if he could help—Shippo had always liked Kouga, once he got over the fact that Kouga once tried to feed him to his wolves—but she also knew that might destroy the fragile truce between the Lord of the North and the Prince of the West.

 _No_ , she told herself at kyudo practice as she let arrow after arrow fly, _I’ve got to let this play out. I’ve got to be smart, if I want to find Shippo._

“Higurashi-kun!” came the familiar snarky call from across the field. Kagome looked up to see Suzuki-sensei scowling at her. Practice was outside, and Inuyasha was lounging against a tree on the other side of the field, absently scrolling through his phone. Kagome smiled at the sight of her medieval husband doing something so 21st century, then snapped to attention when Suzuki-sensei called her again.

“Yes, sensei?” Kagome asked politely, lowering her bow.

Suzuki-sensei stalked over to her, her glasses slightly askew. “Your technique is slipping,” she said brusquely, looking Kagome over carefully. “Anything on your mind, Higurashi-kun?” She smirked. “Or is Fujimura-san too much of a distraction?”

Kagome lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry, sensei. I’ve had a lot on my mind. It won’t happen again.”

Suzuki-sensei reached out and patted Kagome awkwardly on the shoulder. Kagome nearly flinched at the surprisingly kind gesture from her gruff sensei, but managed to relax under Suzuki-sensei’s touch.

“If you need someone to talk to, Higurashi-kun,” she said, “I could be a good, objective ear.”

Kagome smiled. “Thanks, sensei. Maybe I’ll take you up on it.”

Suzuki-sensei’s face twisted into something Kagome could almost call a smile. “Get back to your practice, Higurashi,” she said, dropping the honorific. “I expect you to place higher than sixth in the hassetsu this time around.”

Kagome’s grin grew wider. “Yes, sensei.”

After practice was over, Kagome gestured to Inuyasha that she’d be back shortly, and followed Suzuki-sensei into the gym and back to her office. “Suzuki-sensei?” she asked tentatively. “Can we talk now?”

Suzuki-sensei chuckled and pushed her glasses up on her nose. “I didn’t think you’d want to talk today, with your boyfriend waiting for you.” She gestured to the seat by her desk; Kagome sat there, and Suzuki-sensei sat behind her desk, clasping her hands together and leaning forward on her elbows.

“He’ll wait,” Kagome replied shortly. Suzuki-sensei looked at her expectantly. Kagome took a deep breath.

“Have you ever lost someone important to you, sensei, and not even realized it until it was too late? Until you couldn’t do anything to help them or find them? Or maybe…” Kagome paused. “Maybe they’re gone and there’s nothing you can do about it at all?”

Suzuki-sensei’s face was impassive. She sighed, and took her glasses off; she slowly cleaned them on the hem of her shirt, then slipped them back on, peering at Kagome through the clean lenses.

“Yes, Higurashi-kun,” she replied. “I have. I know exactly what you mean.”

“It’s just been on my mind a lot,” Kagome said, thinking of Shippo. “How can I put it out of my mind? How do I focus? How do I move on?”

“Those are deep questions, Higurashi-kun,” Suzuki-sensei replied. “Are you sure you want me to be the person you discuss them with?”

Kagome thought about Inuyasha. What would he say? She knew he was fond of Shippo, but she also knew that he thought of the kitsune as an annoying runt and wasn’t as attached to him as Kagome was. He would just tell her that he’d try to find Shippo, but if he couldn’t, then they would simply keep going with their lives. That what happened wasn’t their fault, even if it felt that way.

“I’d like to hear your opinion as an objective outsider, sensei,” Kagome said simply.

Suzuki-sensei leaned forward on her hands a bit, staring at Kagome intensely. It was a little intimidating; Kagome wasn’t going to lie. She maintained a level gaze at her kyudo coach.

“I think that you seem to be holding a lot of feeling about this person,” Suzuki-sensei said carefully. “I think that you maybe even blame yourself for what happened to this person?” Kagome nodded slightly, her breath catching. “I don’t think you should do that. Was there anything you could have done to help this person?”

Kagome swallowed hard. “No, sensei. It was a situation that was out of my control, that we knew might not end the way we expected.”

“Then you need to stop beating yourself up, Higurashi-kun. We all make our choices in life. If this person did something, and you couldn’t help them, because the situation was beyond your control, then how can you blame yourself?”

Tears welled up in Kagome’s eyes. She didn’t want to cry in front of her sensei, but she couldn’t help it. “I feel like I let this person down, sensei.”

“And you don’t want to let anyone down,” Suzuki-sensei finished. Kagome nodded.

Suzuki-sensei lowered her arms flush with her desk and flexed her hands together. “You’re a good person, Higurashi-kun,” she said finally. “You are. You cheer on your teammates, you listen well, you try hard, you are focused and ambitious. I know why you would feel like you want to help everyone. But the truth is that you can’t. You can’t fix everyone. You can’t save the world, Higurashi-kun.”

 _Shows what you know_ , Kagome thought dryly.

“But you can work with what you can control,” Suzuki-sensei added. “You can control your bow. You can control the aim of your arrow. You can control your schoolwork, and getting into college. You can control how you interact with your family, your friends, even your _bonyari_ of a boyfriend.” Kagome stifled back a laugh. Suzuki-sensei leaned forward. “Keep your eye on what you can control. And try not to fret about the things you can’t. It’s the only way you won’t waste all your energy on things that you can’t fix.” She reached out and took one of Kagome’s hands, patting it awkwardly. “You’ve gotten very good at focusing your energy, Higurashi-kun. I don’t want to see all your hard work go to waste, either. Keep focusing on the things you can control. I can’t stress that enough.”

Kagome stood and bowed. “Thank you for taking the time, Suzuki-sensei.”

Suzuki-sensei nodded in reply. “I meant what I said. You’ve worked hard. You’re becoming strong. I don’t want to see you throw that all away over something you can’t fix.”

“I won’t,” Kagome promised, leaving the office and closing the door behind her softly.

Kagome padded down the hall to the locker room to change back into her uniform. She thought about what Suzuki-sensei had said…what Inuyasha had said. It wasn’t her fault; it really wasn’t. She had no control over what happened. Shippo had seen her get pulled into the Meido, and had seen Inuyasha go in after her. There was nothing anyone could have done. Just like there was nothing they could have done when Shippo left. She realized this; she wasn’t a fool. But her feelings were overwhelming.

 _You’re just going to have to get over this, girl_ , she told herself. _It hurts; that’s okay. It’s okay to feel sad, to feel pain. But…it’s not okay to let this dictate your life._

Now back in her school uniform, she took her duffel and her equipment bag and left the locker room. She crossed the gym, and exited the building. Inuyasha was pacing outside; even though he was wearing his cloaking bracelet, she could almost see his ears twitching madly with impatience.

“Oi, Kagome!” he exclaimed when he saw her come through the double doors. “What took you so long?”

Kagome crossed to Inuyasha and kissed him on the lips. He put his arms around her. “You can’t just disappear on me, mate,” he said roughly. “I don’t wanna lose you again.”

She dropped her bags and embraced him tightly. “You’re not going to lose me, mate,” she said softly. His chest rumbled pleasantly at her use of the word “mate.” “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Then don’t wander off on me, please,” he said desperately.

She pulled away from, picked up her bags, and handed them to him. He took them in one hand and hefted them over his shoulder. “How was practice?” he asked her as they started to walk home.

Kagome sighed. “I was distracted. Suzuki-sensei called me out on it. That’s what I was talking to her about.”

“Distracted?” Inuyasha was understandably surprised. He didn’t think Kagome was ever distracted by anything.

“My mind has just been full of Shippo lately,” she admitted.

Inuyasha growled lightly, but not at her. “I’m working on it as best I can, wife,” he said.

She smiled at him tightly. “I know you are, Inuyasha. But it doesn’t change how I feel.”

“So you had to talk to your sensei about it?”

His face was crestfallen; her heart grew tight at the sight.

“She offered to be an objective ear, and I kind of needed one.”

He was clearly struggling to not lose his shit that she wanted to talk to someone other than him. Kagome gave him credit. She slipped her hand into his; he squeezed it.

“Did…it…help?” he asked.

She smiled. “Yeah,” she said softly. “It did, actually.” He looked down at her, his golden eyes gentle. She took a breath. “I can be sad about Shippo, and we can try to find him. But I can’t fix everything. If it doesn’t work out…if you can’t get a lead on him…then I have to accept it and move on.”

Inuyasha sighed, clearly collecting his thoughts slowly. “You can still love Shippo,” he told her. “You can still feel sad that he’s gone. But you can’t. Let. It. Consume. You. Understand?” He squeezed her hand gently with each word.

“I do.” She smiled. “I really do.”

“Good.” He pulled her close as they walked. “Do you think your mom made ramen for dinner tonight?”

Kagome laughed. “If not, I’ll make you some, okay?”

They arrived at the shrine just before dinner; Inuyasha was thrilled to see that Mrs. Higurashi had, indeed, made ramen just for him. Kagome rolled her eyes; honestly, her mother spoiled him _so much_. Dinner was fairly subdued. Souta jabbered on about soccer practice, but Jii-chan seemed to be dozing at the table. Kagome and her mother exchanged worried glances.

“Jii-chan?” Kagome asked. “Busy day?”

Jii-chan shook his head. “It was, granddaughter. We had a lot of visitors today.”

Mrs. Higurashi sighed. “Maybe you should take it easy for a few days, Jii-chan.”

“Great idea, Mama,” Kagome said immediately. “Why don’t Inuyasha and I take over for a few days? I’m sure we can handle things around here.”

“You have training and practice, granddaughter,” Jii-chan replied sulkily.

“My brother will give us the time off, I’m sure,” Inuyasha said.

“There,” Mrs. Higurashi said before Jii-chan could protest, “It’s settled. Now, let’s finish our dinner.”

* * *

When Inuyasha called Sesshomaru to let him know that he and Kagome would be taking a few days to work at the shrine, Sesshomaru of course offered an alternative: he sent his daughters and Hideaki to the shrine to help. The Lord of the West also came to the shrine himself, to inspect the grounds and the surrounding land that was part of the property. He and Inuyasha were beginning to make plans to build a small home for the Prince and his bride.

Inuyasha took Sesshomaru to the forest beyond the fence that marked the shrine grounds. This was all that was left of what was once the Forest of Inuyasha, where he had once been sealed to the Goshinboku that stood on the shrine's very grounds. It seemed fitting that, if Sesshomaru and Mrs. Higurashi agreed, they would build Inuyasha’s home for Kagome there.

Sesshomaru stood in the forest, his silver ponytail blowing gently in the breeze. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the pine trees and the maple trees and the earthiness of the forest floor. He turned to shift his gaze from the forest to his brother. Inuyasha stood, perfectly still, his hands clasped behind his head, eyes closed, ears twitching in response to the sounds of the forest, his long silver hair free and blowing about his face. His face was one of pure serenity and calm. Sesshomaru could not remember when he’d seen his brother so at peace.

He was sure that the miko had something to do with his brother’s newfound placid demeanor. While it was true that his brother still maintained a foul mouth and generally bad attitude, the bad attitude was at least somewhat diminished in the miko’s presence, making him almost downright pleasant. While mating her had brought about a new confidence in his brother, marrying her had indeed given Inuyasha the comfort and constancy he’d never had, at any time during his life, even when he was very young. Sesshomaru could see that they both took their marriage seriously. Inuyasha was tender with his wife and mate, much more so than before they were married. He exercised great patience with himself and with her. Sesshomaru internally rolled his eyes at the whole Shippo affair; he’d personally always found the kitsune to be a bit of a brat, but he knew that the miko had saved the kitsune’s life on more than one occasion, and before she and Inuyasha had left Sengoku Jidai, she and the kitsune were bonded as closely as mother and son. But Inuyasha had made a promise to his wife and mate, and Sesshomaru could not deny that Inuyasha asked so little in return for what he had given his brother.

And, truth be told, Sesshomaru liked the miko. He liked the changes that had come over his brother the past few years, especially in the months they’d spent here. He was secretly pleased that they continued to maintain their truce. And the miko had a lot to do with that. From the first time he’d met her—when she took the Tetsusaiga from its place in his father’s grave, and he’d tried to kill her—she’d never been afraid of him. She always believed that Inuyasha would protect her, sure, but even from the early days, she’d operated under the pretense that he, the Lord of the West, would never harm her. She had often interfered in his battles with Inuyasha, and protected him from Inuyasha’s demon side. And with Mukotsu, he’d certainly protected her. Then, inside Naraku, he’d done it again. Despite his cold demeanor towards her, by the time Kagome and Inuyasha left Sengoku Jidai, he’d grown, if not fond of her, at the very least, ambivalent towards her. He knew that it was because of his acceptance of the miko that he’d been able to reconcile his own feelings towards Rin and take her as his mate.

In a weird way, Sesshomaru owed Kagome everything.

He intended to keep paying it forward as much as he could.

“So, what do you think, Sess?” Inuyasha said suddenly, drawing the Lord of the West out of his reverie. Sesshomaru looked in the direction Inuyasha was pointing. “I thought we’d put the house over there, in that little clearing. We could install a gate in the fence, and cut a path leading back here. The clearing is big enough to give us a decent-sized house, don’t you think?”

Sesshomaru crossed to the clearing, and slowly walked around it. “This is acceptable,” he said. “The architect will come out in the next few days and we will begin planning.”

Inuyasha grinned. “I think she will love it.” His eyes were downcast; his grin turned bashful. “Thanks, Sess,” he said simply.

“Come,” Sesshomaru replied, “let us return to the shrine grounds. This Sesshomaru needs to check on his daughters, and the miko will be looking for you.” He set off for the gate that linked the shrine to the forest, Inuyasha following like a puppy, his ears twitching with happiness before he slipped his bracelet back on to hide them.

When they crossed through the gate, they could hear the sounds of fighting taking place in the shrine courtyard. Hideaki was sparring with Kagome; she was using her knife to deflect his staff. A small group of shrinegoers had paused to watch the match. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha also watched in awe as Kagome successfully parried Hideaki’s thrusts, ducking and dodging out of the way. When he lunged at her, she rolled under the reach of his staff and sideswiped his leg, causing him to fall. She immediately leapt on top of him, pinning his legs, and used one hand to pin his arms over his head, and the other to hold the knife to his throat.

“Do you yield, Nephew?” she hissed, reminiscent of Sayua all those months ago.

He struggled against her hand holding his arms, but she was much stronger than she’d been in the past. He could not break free without hurting her, and he couldn’t do that with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru watching. His head fell back against the packed dirt of the courtyard.

“I yield, Auntie,” he said.

Kagome rose and held out her hand. Hideaki took it and she helped him to rise, shaking the dirt from his clothes as he stood. The shrinegoers applauded and slowly dispersed, eventually going about their business.

“You’ve improved much, little miko,” said Sesshomaru blandly, moving to stand beside his daughters, who had observed the entire match.

“Her strength has come a long way,” said Asuka approvingly. “Our workouts are showing significant results.”

“They really are,” Sayua agreed, moving beside her mate and checking him over for any injuries.

“I’m _fine_ ,” said Hideaki, a little surly from losing to an 18-year old girl. Sayua laughed and kissed him.

“Your body might be fine,” she said, still giggling, “but I think your pride’s been hurt.”

“It’s not every day he loses to a teenager,” Asuka agreed, bursting into laughter at Hideaki’s red face.

Eyes downcast, sensitive to Hideaki’s embarrassment, Kagome smiled slightly. She _had_ improved a great deal over the last few weeks. Sayua, Asuka, and Hideaki were taskmasters; that was for sure. But the results were clear. She was faster, stronger, and more confident in her abilities, both physical and spiritual. She felt… _good_ …about her ability to protect herself and her family. And, she felt better about her ability to stand beside Inuyasha as an equal, not as a helpless miko in need of protection.

Inuyasha watched his mate and wife with pride. She’d taken down his nephew like he was nothing, instead of a strong man and mildly powerful monk. She stood off to the side alone, her ponytail mussed, her gym shorts and tank top dusty, but pleased with her victory, a small smile flitting across her lips. The confidence was rolling off her in waves, and it hit his youki, which became laden with a ferocious spike of arousal. He openly stared at her, tongue practically hanging out of his mouth.

“Do you need something?” she asked him, her eyes twinkling.

Inuyasha cleared his throat, the muskiness of her scent almost silencing him. “You—did—well,” he managed to choke out.

Her giggles drove him even crazier. She crossed to him; he watched her take every step carefully, as though she had planned each one. Her chocolate eyes held him in a steady gaze; he couldn’t look away if he tried. His youki was chafing, desperate to escape and to claim her again, over and over and over. She reached his side, lightly touching his arm. It felt like fire. A sound rumbled deep in his chest. Kagome looked at him, surprised.

“Inuyasha,” she said softly, “what’s gotten into you?”

He suddenly realized they weren’t alone, and that his bastard brother and his nieces were looking at him strangely. The girls had goofy grins on their faces, while his brother looked annoyed and bored. Sayua nudged Hideaki, and his face changed from embarrassed to amused. Inuyasha’s youki slowly dissipated, leaving him sour. He scowled and took his arm away from Kagome’s grasp, crossing it with his other arm angrily. His nieces and Hideaki burst into fits of laughter.

“I think Uncle wants to have a little post-sparring session with you, Auntie,” Asuka snickered. Kagome’s eyes went wide and she turned bright red. Inuyasha growled.

“Decorum, younger daughter,” Sesshomaru intoned. “Your uncle cannot help but desire to take his mate after such a display of power.”

“Sesshomaru!” shouted Inuyasha, pushing Kagome aside and cracking his claws. Since he couldn’t show Kagome how proud he was, he felt an incredible desire to smash something. He moved to a fighting stance, red seeping into his eyes. “You wanna go?”

“Careful, little brother,” Sesshomaru replied easily. “We cannot fight in the middle of the shrine courtyard, in the middle of the day.”

Growling, Inuyasha stood down, a deep scowl now crossing his face. The hints of red in his eyes remained, though.

“Inuyasha.”

He looked down. Kagome stood beside him, her hand gripping his arm a little more firmly. She met his gaze, then turned to her nieces and nephew.

“Can you watch the shrine for a bit? My mate and I need to talk.”

They nodded, and she took Inuyasha firmly by the hand and dragged him into the house. When the door slammed shut, the girls and Hideaki once again dissolved into fits of laughter, Sesshomaru looking at them all with disgust.

* * *

“What the actual fuck?” Kagome hissed, practically throwing Inuyasha through the door to their room, her aura crackling madly around them both. He staggered a bit, unprepared for her display of raw, angry power. He held onto the bed to balance himself.

“Mate?” he said tentatively.

Kagome leaned forward and poked him in the chest in frustration. Her finger sparked, leaving a smoking mark on his shirt, but nothing on his chest. Even as angry as she was, she still couldn’t hurt him. “What’s with the display of crazy masculinity?” she demanded.

His bewilderment turned to amusement. “It’s fucking hot when you beat the hell out of someone, mate,” he said. “And extra hot when you know that you beat the hell out of them.”

Now it was her turn to be confused. “Really?”

He removed her finger from his chest and kissed it. “Really.”

She paused. “You… _like?_...when I’m badass? I thought you wanted me to stay helpless and in need of protection.”

Now he burst out laughing. “So did I. But I _really_ like when you’re badass.”

Then she was on him, kissing him and licking his mark like a woman possessed. He growled and nuzzled her neck, his hands roaming freely over her body. She pushed him down on the bed, and he flipped her over so he was on top of her. As much as she’d dominated Hideaki in the match, he wanted to dominate her in the bedroom that much more.

She reached up to pull him close. “How much do you like it?” she purred in his ear.

He sat up and pulled off his shirt, then hers, breathing in her scent and shuddering with desire. “Wait and see, mate,” he said roughly, his fangs dipping below his lip, his eyes tinging with red.

Kagome shivered and yanked him close to her, kissing him softly, but tonguing his fangs. He growled and nipped at her lip, pricking it and causing a droplet of blood to form. He licked it away; she sighed and opened her mouth to grant him entry. He took it brutally, charging in and exerting his dominance over her tongue, her teeth, her mouth. She responded in kind, growling her own little growls and raking her blunt nails over his back.

All his instincts were screaming at him to take her from behind, to show true dominance, but the thought of his dream inside the cave gave him pause. His human side was fighting back; he couldn’t do that to her. Not after what he’d seen and felt.

Instead he ripped off her shorts and underwear with one harsh thrust from his claws, leaving her completely nude. He ignored her protests about how those were her favorite gym shorts, and instead removed his own jeans. Her arousal was so thick in the air that he was almost suffocating in it; a delightful drowning in her scent and her desire. It told him all he needed to know about her preparedness. With one great roar that told everyone in the house what they were doing, he hiked up her legs and plowed into her, and she bellowed her pleasure in return.

And then it was all bodies slapping and sweating and crying out for more of each other. With the shred of his human side that was still intact, Inuyasha thought he must be hurting her, but she continued to meet him eagerly as their bodies smacked together with love, lust, and desperation. She needed him as much as he needed her, and it was driving him wild. He drove into her over and over, soaking in her cries and her deep, musky scent.

What did he need?

He needed to mark her, to claim her again, to show her that she was his. Forever.

And so he did.

“I’m gonna mark you again, mate,” he whispered hoarsely, his voice no longer functioning as all of his bodily efforts were going elsewhere.

She grunted an assent. “Where, anata?” she whispered back, just as hoarse, her body twitching under his, desperate for release.

“You might not like it,” he warned her. “It’s just for us.”

“Do it,” she said. She let loose a little bit of her aura; it sparkled around them both, bright and pink and bubbly. “I’m ready,” she added.

He let loose his youki and thundered her name, releasing himself with a giant plunge into her depths as he bit into the top of her breast. The sudden feelings of pleasure, pain, and desire that wound around them in that moment caused her core to vibrate and Kagome to scream his name as she came apart around him. He crushed her to his chest and rolled to his side, pulling her with him so that he wouldn’t squash her. Together they sighed as they came down from their mutual high.

Eventually, hesitantly, Inuyasha began to lick at her new mark. It wasn’t exactly as pretty or pleasant to look at as the other one, but as he soothed it with his tongue, the bleeding stopped and the swelling began to go down. This one would take awhile to heal, and might not ever go away entirely. As his youki receded, he felt overcome with what he had done.

“Fuck, Kagome, I’m sorry,” he said, holding her close to him, tears prickling his eyes. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you at all. I promise.”

She giggled and pulled his face up to meet hers. “That was…intense, mate,” she said teasingly, giving him a small kiss and nibbling at his lower lip.

“Does it hurt?” he asked frantically. “Did I hurt you? Fuck,” he said again.

She pressed one of her fingers against his lips. “Hush,” she replied sweetly. “It’s all part of being mated to you. I get it. And you know I love you… _all sides_ ,” she added with a devilish smile.

He was about to press his lips to hers again when there was a sharp rap at the door.

“Whoever that is, I’m gonna fucking kill them,” he said savagely, pulling away from his mate and wife and turning towards the door.

“If you’re both quite finished in there,” said Sesshomaru, “there are some boxes that need moving and despite his insistence, the monk is not strong enough to move them on his own. And little miko, your mother is looking for you to help with dinner.”

“Don’t!” whispered Kagome desperately, hanging to Inuyasha as he went to break the door down. She turned bright red and clung to his arm. “ _Please!_ ”

Inuyasha luckily took a moment to glance down at his mate, who had the look of a woman who had been thoroughly fucked, and was therefore in no way fit for anyone else’s eyes but his own. Her deep brown eyes pleading with him, her small hand tugging on his elbow, she whispered again: “Please.”

Growling, Inuyasha nodded at her once, then shouted back through the door. “We’ll be right there, you bastard! And don’t let the monk move _anything_. Kagome just kicked his ass and he might have internal injuries.”

Inuyasha shook with laughter as he heard his brother sigh and move away from the door. He looked down at Kagome, a small smile playing on her lips.

He kissed her hungrily before pulling away, saying, “Mate, we’ve _got_ to get our own place.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suzuki-sensei calls Inuyasha a "bonyari," which loosely translates to a "dunce" or a "blockhead." Someone who is careless, thoughtless, lives in a haze, etc. Seemed like the perfect word to encapsulate how she feels about him :)
> 
> And that's it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I definitely enjoyed writing it. And I believe we have some action coming soon, so stay tuned! As always, thanks so, so much for reading <3


	30. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome's friends find out she's married to Inuyasha...and (almost everything) about the last few years. Their reactions are varying. Inuyasha realizes a secret about Yuka.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime and/or manga.
> 
> Hello everyone! Welcome to Chapter 30! A few revelations before we get back to the action... enjoy!

Kagome stood at the bottom of the stairs to her school, twisting her rings around on her finger. She had thought about wearing them around her neck, but wasn’t the whole reason for getting married so that they didn’t have to hide anymore?

She did keep her own name so it would be on her high school diploma, but she believed pretty strongly that a name did not dictate the closeness of a marriage. And Inuyasha felt no ties to Sesshomaru’s family name; it was a means to an end for him, whereas for her, Higurashi was her whole identity. She wasn’t sure that Sesshomaru would be too pleased with her decision to keep her name for now, but she frankly didn’t care. She was Inuyasha’s wife, and if he was fine with her keeping her name, then what else mattered?

“Oi, Kagome,” said a deep voice beside her. She looked up to see Inuyasha staring down at her, his amber eyes deep and questioning. “What’re you thinking about?”

She smiled and reached up to cup his face in his hands. She pulled him down and kissed him. “About how this is my first day of high school where I’m here as your wife.”

She loved how his face thrilled at the word “wife.” He was completely lit up from within; his smile took up his whole face. She was thankful he was wearing his bracelet, because she was pretty sure his fangs were hanging out openly. She didn’t need to scent him to tell that he wanted to just take her right there and now, and by the way his eyes were raking over her, she knew he could tell she wasn’t averse to that.

His arms went around her and he pulled her close, nibbling at her ear. “I’ll see you at 5?” he breathed. Kagome suddenly felt weak and she nodded. He released her to arm’s length. “Have a good day, wife,” he teased her.

“Have a good day, husband,” she teased him back.

“Hold on, hold on,” a voice came up from behind them. “Did you just say ‘husband’?”

Inuyasha and Kagome whirled around to see Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi. Yuka’s hands were on her hips, and her feet were spread apart. Her face was demanding and curious. Kagome blushed, and Inuyasha removed his hands from his mate and wife.

“I’ll see you at 5, ‘Gome,” he said slowly, backing away. He nodded at the girls, and practically ran back in the direction of the shrine.

The girls advanced on Kagome, who visibly gulped, her face beet red. Eri took Kagome’s left hand and examined it critically. She looked up at Kagome’s face. Kagome tried not to meet her gaze.

“When were you going to tell us you were _married_ , Kagome?” Eri was pissed. Ayumi and Yuka gathered around too; Kagome felt their presence pushing in on her, and it was all she could to do not unleash her aura on them. She gritted her teeth, urging her aura to stay put.

Instead, she ripped her hand out of Eri’s grasp. “This is why!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t want to get crowded with questions and judgments!” She felt badly knowing that these were supposedly her best friends, but she hadn’t told them just how far her relationship with Inuyasha had gone, and how deep her love for him ran.

Eri backed off, holding out her hands. “Whoa, Kagome,” she replied hastily, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to crowd you.” Yuka and Ayumi looked between the two girls, confused and wary of the turn in the conversation. Eri sighed. “You just…haven’t been hanging out with us as much since Inuyasha came to live here for good.”

Kagome froze. It was true; she hadn’t spent much time with the girls this year. But honestly? She felt decades older than them, and infinitely more mature. Living each day as though it might be your last, as though you might be eaten by demons at any moment, tended to have that effect on a person. She didn’t find it fun anymore to hang out and talk about boys and makeup; she didn’t find it fun anymore to have sleepovers and gossip all night long.

But why didn’t she? Did having a mate and being a miko automatically mean that she was above them, somehow? That her tastes had outgrown them? Did the fear of death on a daily basis really mean that she couldn’t hang out for one night and watch bad movies?

She instantly felt like an awful, awful friend.

Kagome’s eyes dropped. “I’m sorry, Eri,” she said quietly. “It’s been a tough adjustment to have Inuyasha here, and to try and balance my life with him and my life before him, and the life in between, where he was in and out of it so much.” She felt the tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

It was Ayumi who stepped forward and hugged her tightly. “It’s okay,” she said softly. “Really. It’s really okay. You’ve had a lot to process.” She looked at the other girls. “ _We_ don’t really understand everything that’s happened, either.” She paused as the school bell rang, signifying the end of their conversation. “Maybe you could tell us, though?”

Kagome sighed. She didn’t really want to talk about Inuyasha with the girls, but she supposed that she would have to at some point. She owed them that much. “I don’t have kyudo today, so let’s go get something to eat after school, yeah?” The girls all stared at her, hard. “I’ll tell you want you want to know.”

* * *

She texted Inuyasha at lunch, to let him know she would be going out with the girls after school. His text came back, almost immediately:

_No kyudo?_

She paused. _I forgot to tell you this morning, sorry._

There was a moment where the bubbles on the left side of the screen indicated he was writing. Then it stopped, and then started again.

_Okay, I’ll meet you and walk you wherever you’re going._

She sighed, not for the first time that day, and responded:

_It’s okay, really. I don’t think anything will happen with the girls around._

His text was again almost immediate:

_That’s what you say literally every time you get kidnapped. See you after school._

“Well?” said Yuka. Kagome looked up from her phone.

“I think he’s going to join us,” Kagome said resignedly. The girls, however, looked delighted.

The rest of the day passed in a blur for Kagome. She couldn’t seem to pay attention in any of her classes. Instead, she thought about what she would tell her friends, and what their responses to her stories would be. She had no idea what they would think. Her mother had told her that they’d stopped by before the well was restored, but there was so much confusion in those moments, it was tough to sit them down and explain to them what was happening. Now, in this moment, though, things were different. Kagome and Inuyasha were safe. (Relatively.) They weren’t going anywhere. She would have to face her friends, and tell them everything.

* * *

Inuyasha was waiting for Kagome and the girls in his usual spot after school: across the street, lounging against the tree, scrolling through his phone, trying to not think about what was about to happen. He found Kagome’s friends to be a little silly, honestly: high-pitched, gossipy girls. But they had been Kagome’s friends for many years, and she hadn’t been spending much time with them lately. Even though he wanted to make sure that she was safe, he was also hesitant to interfere in what Kagome called “girl time.” He rolled his eyes and let out a small scoff. She could have all the “girl time” she wanted with those girls; he’d wait for her somewhere out of sight.

Unfortunately, the girls had other plans.

Inuyasha scented Kagome first, and looked up to see her long dark hair flowing against the white of her school blouse, the flash of her rings in the sunlight as she adjusted her backpack. She was just coming down the steps of the school. His youki whined at the sight of his wife and mate; Inuyasha quickly tamped it down as he saw the three girls following her out of the building. He wasn’t sure how comfortable Kagome would be with his youki fawning all over her in front of her friends.

The girl Inuyasha thought was called Yuka spotted him first. He saw her looking his way, then he saw her nudge Kagome. She looked up, and her face broke out into a huge smile, her eyes lighting up as she saw him straighten up across the street. The other girls grinned and waved frantically; his youki came fully under control at that point. He groaned and crossed the street to meet the girls, hoping that Kagome’s visit wouldn’t take all afternoon.

“Inuyasha!” the girl called Ayumi exclaimed. “It’s so great to see you!” She reached out and pulled him into a warm hug; Inuyasha tried _very_ hard not to stiffen up.

“We’re going out for burgers,” Yuka said. “Kagome says you’ll join us?”

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, his face clearly saying _What the fuck?_ to her. Kagome shrugged, as if to reply, _it can’t be helped_.

“Do you like burgers, Inuyasha?” asked Eri. She stepped forward and made to hook her arm through his, but Inuyasha growled slightly and pulled Kagome to him instead.

“Sorry,” Kagome said apologetically. “He’s a little…possessive.” She nudged her mate. “What in the seven hells are you doing?” she whispered. “ _Be. Nice._ ”

“I. Am,” he hissed back. “Tell your friends to keep their paws off me, or I won’t be.”

“Are you guys coming?” Yuka called. Inuyasha and Kagome looked up to see that the girls were already halfway down the block. Kagome grabbed Inuyasha’s hand, squeezing it in reassurance.

“Yup!” Kagome called back, pulling Inuyasha after her. He rolled his eyes and allowed her to bring him along. _This better be good_ , he thought sourly.

* * *

“Wow, this is a burger?” Inuyasha said, savoring the delectable taste of meat, veggies, mayo, and ketchup, all bound together by a bun, in his mouth. “This is fucking outstanding.”

Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi exchanged scandalized looks. Kagome nudged her mate and husband. “Inuyasha,” she said warningly, “language, please.”

“What?” he replied, ignoring her friends’ horrified faces. He pulled a piece off his burger and held it out to Kagome. “Eat.”

When Kagome opened her mouth and accepted the burger from his hands, Eri audibly gasped. Inuyasha and Kagome looked at her, surprised, Kagome slowly chewing her burger.

“Did you just… _feed her_?” Eri managed to choke out.

Kagome shrugged. “He does it all the time. It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s kind of gross,” Eri said.

Kagome laughed. “There’s a lot you don’t know.”

“So tell us,” Yuka challenged her friend. Her face softened. “Please?”

“You don’t know what it was like, when you were missing,” Ayumi added. “Your family was frantic. They were sitting in that old shed on your property, saying that a well was missing? That you had gone down the well, only now the well was gone and they didn’t know if you could get back? None of them would leave that spot, but they also wouldn’t tell us anything else that was going on. Can you tell us?”

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other. Inuyasha reached down and picked up Kagome’s hand, rubbing small circles on the back of her hand.

“Whatever you want to tell them, koishii,” he said softly, “I will support you.”

Kagome smiled, and took a deep breath, holding tight to Inuyasha’s hand. “It’s quite a story,” she said, tightness in her voice.

“Then tell us whatever you can,” Eri replied.

Kagome checked to make sure no one was listening; the restaurant was packed and busy. No one was paying attention to them. She looked at Inuyasha again; he nodded. She needed all his support.

“On my fifteenth birthday,” Kagome began, “I was looking for our cat, Buyo, in the shed that houses the Bone-Eater’s Well, and suddenly a flash of light burst out of the well, destroying the seals that held the lid of the well in place. Some long, tentacle-like hands reached out and grabbed me, pulling me into the well. It was a giant centipede demon. I reached out and zapped the demon, but when I came through the well, I wasn’t on my family’s property anymore. I was in the middle of a forest, and the centipede was coming after me. Not too far away, sealed to a tree with an arrow, was a boy wearing a red haori and hakama.” She looked at Inuyasha; he nodded. Kagome looked at her friends.

“He had long silver hair and dog ears. He was a hanyou: half human, half youkai. He asked me to unseal him from the tree; I did, and he destroyed the demon. But not before she punctured my side and caused a large jewel to fly from my abdomen. The Shikon no Tama.” Kagome sighed and held tightly to Inuyasha’s hand. “The truth is that I’m a powerful miko, Inuyasha is a powerful hanyou, and until five months ago, I was traveling regularly back and forth between here and the Sengoku Jidai.” She paused. “I was never sick; I only missed school once or twice in those years due to illness. All the other times, I was in Sengoku Jidai. With Inuyasha. Battling demons.”

* * *

Kagome didn’t reveal all the parts of her life from the past several years. She left out some of the more dangerous aspects: she left out Inuyasha cutting off his brother’s arm; she left out Mukostu; they knew a little about Kikyo, but she left out how Kikyo tried to kill her. But she told them about how she shattered the Shikon no Tama, and how she and Inuyasha were forced to team up to collect the jewel shards. She told them about Miroku, Sango, and Shippo. She told them about Naraku, and about being trapped in the jewel after they defeated him. She told them how Inuyasha found her, how she destroyed the jewel, and how they ended up back here, with no way to get back. She told them about her miko training, and about marrying Inuyasha. She left out the mating part, and his new position as Prince of the West.

Inuyasha sat quietly the whole time, ignoring his burger and focusing all his attention on Kagome. When her breath hitched, he placed a hand on her shoulder or brushed her hair from her face. When she shuddered, he pulled her into his lap, holding her close, allowing his youki to comfort her and give her strength. He allowed her to tell the whole story, as much as she wanted. No matter how he felt about her revealing their darkest secrets. _These are her fucking friends_ , he told himself. _They won’t tell anyone_.

When Kagome finally grew quiet, her friends sat back in their seats, shocked. Inuyasha studied their faces. The one called Eri was red; her scent was angry and confused. She might be a problem.

The other two, on the other hand, were different. Ayumi’s scent was full of sadness, of pity, for what Kagome had experienced. And the one called Yuka was… _oh shit._

Why hadn’t he noticed it before?

He’d keep this revelation quiet for now.

The girls were quiet for a long time. Kagome’s scent was full of nervousness and fear. He pulled her close. He knew she was worried about how her friends would react.

Finally, Eri spoke. “Do you expect us to believe this?” she said slowly. “That you’ve spent the better part of over two years living in Sengoku Jidai? Fighting demons? That your incredibly hot—sorry, he is,” she added when Kagome growled, “—husband is half-demon? That you weren’t really sick?” She laughed bitterly. “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Eri…” began Kagome.

“No, really, Kagome,” Eri continued, “I can’t believe you would make up something like this! Were you really out of school because you were in and out of treatment for your mental health?” She scoffed. “Youkai among us,” she added. “It’s nothing but a fairy tale!”

“Eri,” Ayumi responded, “do you really think so?”

“It’s not a fairy tale,” said Yuka softly. Everyone’s eyes turned to her. Yuka blushed.

“What do you mean, Yuka?” Ayumi asked.

“I mean that I believe Kagome and Inuyasha-sama,” Yuka said. Kagome and Inuyasha’s eyes widened at Yuka’s use of the honorific for Inuyasha.

“Yuka…” Kagome said.

Yuka held up a hand to stop her. When Kagome closed her mouth, Yuka rolled up the sleeve of her uniform shirt. Underneath was a band of leather with two beads, used to adjust the size of the bracelet.

Just like Inuyasha’s.

Kagome gasped. Inuyasha growled low.

“What are you?” he asked her.

Yuka paused. “I’m a bakeneko.”

Kagome gasped; Inuyasha flexed his claws under his disguise. “I can’t believe I didn’t detect your youki before this.”

“At school you have to be good about disguising it,” she told him. “Otherwise you’d have all these different youki brushing up against each other, causing all kinds of problems. They teach us to hide it at a very young age; it’s required that we be able to disguise it if we want to go to regular school.”

“My nieces are quite good at this,” he replied.

“You aren’t,” she observed.

“First, I’ve only been here five months,” he answered. “And second, I don’t really give a shit about hiding my youki, unless I need to.”

“The Prince of the West would do well to keep himself more effectively disguised,” Yuka said, bowing her head slightly as she admonished him. “I’m sure the House of the West has many enemies. You don’t want to make yourself a target, my Lord.”

“What in the seven hells is going on here?” Eri asked incredulously.

“Do you serve our house, bakeneko?” Inuyasha asked, ignoring Eri.

“My family has been loyal subjects of your brother for hundreds of years,” Yuka replied. “The Western Lord has always taken good care of us. You have nothing to fear from me.”

"Western Lord?" squeaked Eri.

Inuyasha smiled. “This Inuyasha appreciates your fealty,” he told her. He turned to Eri and Ayumi. “Do you have any more doubts?” he asked them, smirking.

Eri turned to Yuka. “You’re really not lying?” Yuka shook her head. Eri turned to Inuyasha. “You’re really a demon lord?”

“Keh,” Inuyasha responded. “Prince. My brother’s the Lord. I’m just his heir.”

Lastly, Eri turned to Kagome. “And you’ve been traveling to the past all this time?” Kagome nodded. Eri leaned back and crossed her arms. She was silent for several moments.

“Holy fuck,” she breathed at last, drawing disbelieving looks from the other girls at her language. “This is some crazy shit.”

“What will you do now, Kagome?” Ayumi asked her.

Kagome shrugged. “The same thing I would have done if I hadn’t married Inuyasha,” she replied. “Graduate high school. Go to college. The only difference is that I have a job at a tech giant waiting for me after college if I want it.” Her face softened as she turned to look at her mate. “I think, though, that our plans are to stay at the shrine. Help my family. Keep Inuyasha close to his forest, where he feels safe and at home.” Inuyasha smiled and gently touched her cheek with a delicate hand. Kagome reached up and held his hand with her own. “Live with my husband. Have lots of babies.” His smile became a smirk; he couldn’t help it.

Eri frowned. “Can you prove any of this?”

“We can’t remove our cloaks out in the open, Eri!” Yuka admonished her.

“No, you can’t,” said Kagome. “But does this work instead?”

Kagome held out her hand. She closed her eyes and reached into her third eye, drawing out her power. The girls gasped; her hand glowed pink and a small pillar of light emerged from it. Kagome opened her eyes, and allowed the light to remain for a few seconds, then gently called her power back.

Ayumi looked astonished. Eri looked pensive. Yuka looked terrified.

Inuyasha saw Yuka’s face. “Don’t worry, bakeneko,” he said gruffly. “My wife will not purify you. She has excellent control over her aura.”

“Purify?” Ayumi asked in a hushed tone.

“She can turn youkai to ash,” Inuyasha said bluntly.

“Holy shit,” said Eri again. She looked at Inuyasha and Kagome. “I believe you both,” she said. “That thing you did with your hand, Kagome…” she paused. “It was awesome. I believe you.”

“What can we do to help you?” Ayumi asked.

“The Prince of the West doesn’t need our help,” Yuka said.

Inuyasha hushed her with a glance. “There is one thing you can do,” he said. The girls looked at him expectantly. “Don’t tell our secret,” he continued. “The bakeneko…Yuka…is right. The House of the West has enemies. We need to protect Kagome. Her power is something that other youkai have already tried to come after her for…twice.” He paused for effect. It worked; Eri’s eyes grew wide and Ayumi audibly gasped. Only Yuka seemed unsurprised.

“We can do that. We won’t tell anyone,” Ayumi promised. Eri nodded, still in shock from everything she’d heard and seen.

“And there is one more thing you can do,” Inuyasha said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

The girls all looked at him, Kagome included.

His smile grew wider. “You can help me finish off these burgers and fries.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bakeneko are shape-shifting cat youkai who are one-tailed (as opposed to the nekomata, like Kirara, who are two-tailed). The prevailing rumor about bakeneko is that they love to lick lamp oil (because it was often derived from fish oil). Let's hope Yuka hasn't inherited that habit!
> 
> See you all at the next update, which will be soon! Thank you again so much for reading <3


	31. Protecting What's Ours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome refuses to stand back and let others fight her battles. The shrine is threatened. Kouga is not happy with anyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime and/or manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello all! Thank you for the kind comments on the last chapter <3 I'm working very hard on finishing up this little story which has somehow become an epic ^_^ So I'll be posting much more regularly for the next few weeks. Please enjoy as we gear up for another battle!

Kagome didn’t want to admit it, but telling the girls had been a huge relief. Before, she’d been so afraid of slipping up in front of them, she was hesitant to hang out with them anymore. But now, maybe things could go back to normal: relatively speaking, anyway. They’d left the girls outside the restaurant, Yuka promising to come by the shrine sometime soon, so they could see her without her cloaking bracelet on.

Inuyasha was silent on the way back to the shrine. Kagome understood why; she’d just taken a huge risk, confessing their secret to her best friends. Yuka, they knew, was safe, but Ayumi and Eri were only human, and could reveal their secret at any time. Kagome hoped that twelve years of friendship would earn her their discretion.

She snuggled in closer to Inuyasha; the air was getting cooler as the sun was growing lower in the sky. He slung an arm about her waist and tucked her into his side. “I’m ready for a bath,” she said, reaching up to nuzzle his mark. He growled and kissed the top of her head. “How was your day?”

He laughed bitterly. “Sess is trying to get me to sit in on a big meeting tomorrow with the wolf and Kashikoi. Something about determining a new Lord of the East. Like I would be of any use or have any interest.”

“Inuyasha,” Kagome admonished her mate gently.

He looked at her questioningly. She reached up and kissed his cheek. “You know your brother values your opinion.”

“Keh,” was his response, but he ruffled her hair as they turned onto the shrine’s street. Inuyasha suddenly paused, his hidden ears lying flat against his head.

“What is it?” Kagome asked him.

He growled and looked at the torii gate at the bottom of the shrine steps. Kagome followed his gaze, and saw two wolf youkai standing in front of the steps, as though they were guarding the shrine.

“What the fuck?” Inuyasha muttered.

Kagome peered hard at the youkai. “It’s Ginta and Hakkaku!” she breathed.

Even though they were still halfway down the block, the wolf youkai heard her say their names, and looked up. They smiled when they saw Kagome, and headed towards them, waving, faces grim.

“Kagome,” Ginta said, the smile not quite reaching his eyes. “We heard from Kouga that you were alive. I’m sorry we haven’t been by to see you yet.”

“I’m glad to see you both,” Kagome said warmly. She saw their faces, though, and paused. “I take it you’re not here on a social visit,” she added slowly.

Hakkaku ran a hand through his mohawk nervously. “There’s…there’s been a problem at the shrine,” he said.

“Hakkaku!” Ginta warned.

“What kind of a problem, wolves?” Inuyasha said sharply.

Ginta frowned. “It’s not a problem yet, exactly.”  
  
“Ginta,” Kagome replied, “I think you better tell us what’s going on.”

“Bears,” Hakkaku said simply.

“Bears?”

“Bears,” Ginta confirmed. “About fifty of them. On their way to the shrine. For you.”

Kagome froze. Inuyasha gripped her arm tightly. “Where’s the family?” he demanded.  
  
“Ayame took them to Sesshomaru’s,” Hakkaku said. “Kagome, we are supposed to take you there, too, while Inuyasha and the Lords handle things here.”

“Like hell I’m going to leave,” she said firmly, pushing past the ookami and heading for the gate.

“Hold on, nee-san,” Ginta said, forgetting her relationship with Inuyasha and using their familiar term for her. “We are under strict orders not to let you near the shrine.”

“Don’t push me, Ginta,” Kagome said harshly. She let her aura out, and it formed a barrier around her. “I’m going.”

Inuyasha didn’t know whether to kiss her or sling her over his back and take her to Sesshomaru’s himself. “You’re not getting near her now, boys,” he chuckled. “I’ll take the heat on this one from Kouga, don’t worry.” Kagome stormed up the steps, her barrier expanding with each step she took. Inuyasha rushed to follow her, Ginta and Hakkaku next.

When Kagome reached the top of the shrine steps, what she saw closely resembled the eve before a battle. Wolf, boar, and inu youkai that were humanoid were wearing full armor. A few kitsune were practicing fox magic in a circle; Kagome realized with a pang of sadness that Shippo wasn’t among them. Animal youkai slunk in between the humanoids, growling and snapping at each other. The smell of bloodlust was in the air, potent enough for even a human like her to detect. She pulled back her barrier, careful not to purify anyone, and pushed her way through the crowd. When she reached the center of the courtyard, she saw Kouga, Kashikoi, and Sesshomaru, huddled close together.

She raced over to them, not caring who she was or who they were—her only concern was for her home and her family. “What. The. Fuck?!” she snarled through clenched teeth when she reached them. Her fists were raised. She was looking to punch somebody, soon.

Kouga looked horrified at her choice of words, but the Lords of the South and West merely stared down her angry countenance until she submitted. Which she would not have done, had Inuyasha not come up behind her and put his arms around her, squeezing until she relaxed.

“Good girl,” he whispered, letting her go slack against him for a moment. He looked at the three remaining Lords. “Kouga’s men said bears. How long until they’re here?”

Kouga looked beyond pissed. His normally sleek ponytail was messy, hairs escaping everywhere, and his eyes were tinged red. “Our intelligence was wrong. We thought we had three or four days to prepare, so we were gonna meet tomorrow, but it looks more like it will be within the hour. We got here as soon as we could—I already had Ginta and Hakkaku staking out the shrine as extra security.” He looked at Kagome, but spoke to Inuyasha. “She shouldn’t be here.”

“Like I told Ginta and Hakkaku—like hell I shouldn’t be,” she hissed, her pupils small with rage. Her aura sparked against Inuyasha, desperate to get free and unleash her fury.

“You’ve got to relax, mate,” he said to her frankly. “I ain’t letting ya go until you do.”

“The Lord of the North is right,” Kashikoi said, pacing the length of the group. “A frantic miko is the last thing we need here. That’s why you should go.” He looked her full in the face, his beady eyes boring into her chocolate ones.

“You don’t understand,” Kagome said, now physically chafing against Inuyasha’s grasp. He was struggling to hold her without hurting her. “This is my _home_! I’m not gonna leave just because it makes you feel better.”

“Then you must calm yourself, miko,” Sesshomaru responded. She paused her actions to take him in. Sesshomaru, as always, was the quintessence of calm; nothing phased him; nothing excited him; nothing worried him. His long hair was tied back perfectly; unlike Kouga, no hairs were out of place. His golden eyes, as hardened cold as Inuyasha’s blazed hot, held her dark brown ones steady. She took a deep breath and allowed Inuyasha to nuzzle her neck as she tried hard to listen to Sesshomaru’s advice. “There is very little time,” he told her. “Go get ready to defend your home.”

“Father!” came a nearby cry. Sayua joined the group, with Asuka and Hideaki close behind her. “They are coming. We must prepare.”

“Little brother,” said Sesshomaru quickly, “get the miko’s things. Get Tetsusaiga. Kagome—yes, this Sesshomaru knows your name,” he added, a little impatient at her surprise, “go get changed. Your school uniform will not provide you much protection in this battle.”

Kagome reached out and kissed Inuyasha quickly, tweaking his ear. He winked at her and together they raced back to the shrine house to change and get their weapons.

“Ready, mate?” Inuyasha asked her.

Kagome grinned; the bloodlust was getting to her. “I’m ready.”

* * *

Quietly, around the shrine, masses of bear youkai surrounded what remained of Inuyasha’s forest. They wore armor on their chests, their lower arms and wrists, and their calves. Their bloodlust was just as great as those who protected the shrine.

In the middle of the youkai was Hokutou. He was a tall bear; not a giant like his brother, but he still stood close to seven feet tall upright. His fur was brown, like his brother’s, but his eyes softer and more intelligent. He stood among his men, listening to the reports from his scouts. When he heard that the three remaining Lords had amassed an army to protect the miko and her family, he grinned, drool dripping from his fangs.

For days, for weeks, he had been waiting for the right moment to strike the miko and her family. Every day, his spies brought him reports of everything that happened at the shrine. She had brought about the death of his brother and his best friend, Kurokama. With her great powers of purification, she would bring about destruction to many, many more youkai, if something wasn’t done. So Hokutou took it upon himself to end her, and with her, the remaining Lords, as well. He couldn’t believe that the Lords had wanted the half-breed to take over as Lord of the East, when he, Hokutou, was the rightful heir. His brother hadn’t officially named him, but he knew that would have been what Ussuri wanted.

Beside the bear youkai was the witch, mysterious as always. Her hood covered her face, so Hokutou could not read her eyes. The first time they’d met, he could smell her youki, but since that time, she’d carefully disguised it

“You ready, witch?” Hokutou said, turning to the woman beside him.

“Ready, Hokutou-sama,” she said quietly. She turned to him; he could see her dark eyes burning fire from beneath her hood. “I have one favor to ask,” she added.

“What is it, witch?” he replied.

“On the grounds of the shrine there is a shed that houses the Bone Eater’s Well,” she said. “Do what you like to the rest of the property, but the well is not to be harmed.” She paused, as if debating how much more to say. “My research has shown that it once provided a link to the past. I may be a witch, but I recognize the sacredness of that connection. We cannot destroy it.”

“Fine,” Hokutou replied shortly. “I’ll tell my people.”

“And one more thing.” The witch pulled out a potion bottle. “Give me your hands, my Lord.”

Hokutou hesitated. “What _is_ that?”

She popped open the bottle; a purple haze began to seep out. The jyaki coming from the bottle was suffocating.

“This poison will coat your claws,” she commented. “It’s a very powerful poison that counters youki and makes the healing process impossible for a demon. Kurokama used it on Inuyasha, but the miko was close and was able to rescue him. Keep them apart, or kill her first. Then use your claws to tear apart the half-breed. This poison will end him; he won’t be able to recover. You only get one shot at this, my Lord, so please try to refrain from using your claws on anyone else first.”

“Understood.” Hokutou eagerly held out his hands and allowed the witch to pour the poison over his claws. They glowed ultraviolent for a moment, then faded as the poison entered the tips. Hokutou’s eyes tinged red with bloodlust. He couldn’t wait to slaughter everyone inside the grounds, and make himself the Lord of all the youkai lands. His paws rubbed together in anticipation.

Yes, he thought. Revenge would be sweet, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! Will the bears attack? Will Hokutou get to Kagome and Inuyasha? As always, thanks so much for reading, and see you at the next update!


	32. Bears Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sayua, Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha head off alone to take out the bear youkai, while Kagome and Hideaki create a barrier to protect the shrine. But will it hold against the bear youkai?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime and/or manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> And we're back in battle!

Several of the kitsune spies relayed to the Lords that the bear youkai were hiding out in Inuyasha’s Forest, biding their time, waiting to attack. When Inuyasha heard this, he immediately wanted to go out into the forest and unleash the Tetsusaiga on them. Sayua agreed, offering her support with her Mofubuki-ha. Kashikoi was more hesitant, afraid of allowing anyone to go up against the bear youkai alone.

“It’s not an awful idea, Kashikoi,” said Kouga. “They would be able to take on the bears alone, maybe annihilate some of them, allowing the shrine to take less damage.”

“And my Lord Father could also use the Bakusaiga in the forest,” Sayua added. “He cannot do that on the shrine grounds.”

“You are correct, Daughter,” replied Sesshomaru. “Between the three of us, we should be able to unleash something substantial and greatly reduce their forces.”

“I say let’s fucking do it,” said Inuyasha savagely, pulling out the Tetsusaiga.

“I’m in, too,” said Kagome, adjusting her quiver.

“No fucking way, mate,” Inuyasha told her. “It’s too dangerous.”

“I can make a barrier and protect all three of you,” Kagome said impatiently.

“We don’t know that you can protect anyone other than me, ‘Gome,” Inuyasha replied. “I’d much rather have you here, protecting the shrine.”

“Yes, Auntie,” added Sayua. “You and Hideaki can combine your power and create a stronger barrier.”

“I don’t know if we can do that,” Kagome said doubtfully.

“I’m sure we can figure something out,” said Hideaki, coming up behind them and putting his arms around his mate’s waist. “Do you have to go?” he murmured.

“You didn’t see what I did to those bear fuckers last time,” Sayua replied, turning to kiss his cheek. “I’ll be fine.”

“Daughter will be with us and will be well-protected, Son-in-Law,” Sesshomaru told Hideaki. “You have nothing to fear.”

“When do we go, Sess?” said Inuyasha impatiently.

“As soon as we have a plan for what will happen next,” Sesshomaru replied.

“Simple,” said Kouga. “You go in. Annihilate as many of those fucking bears as you can. Kagome and Hideaki put up the barrier. Any bears that get through, that’s us,” he added, turning to Kashikoi. The boar youkai nodded, his beady eyes barely slits on his face. “My wolves will tear those bears from limb to limb,” Kouga added, his face hard. “They know that the bears have been gunning for our lands as much as the West. We’re fighting to protect ourselves, too.”

“And you’re not going to do it alone, mate,” said a light female voice from near the entrance to the grounds.

Their heads all whipped around. There stood a tall female wolf youkai, her red hair pulled back in a tight braid, an iris tucked daintily behind one ear. Her green eyes blazed with fury. Her hands were on her hips, which cocked out an angle, bringing attention to her exquisitely shining armor.

“Thought you could get rid of me, didn’t you, _my Lord_?” she added in a mocking tone.

Kouga sighed and crossed the courtyard to clasp Ayame in his arms. “You were supposed to stay safe with Kagome’s family,” he said into her hair. “This isn’t a fight I wanted you to be a part of.”

She pushed away from Kouga and pointed a finger into his chest. “Bullshit,” she retorted. “I have fought by your side for almost 500 years. I’m not going to stop because some stupid bears think they can take over our lands.” Her eyes scoured the grounds, taking in everyone with a harsh glare. They settled on Kagome, and a hint of red seeped into the green.

“So it’s okay for Ka-go-me to be here, and not me?” she hissed.

Kagome willed herself to not wilt under the pressure of Ayame’s glare and mocking tone. Inuyasha’s hand on her arm settled her. Her own eyes hardened in return.

“This is my home, Ayame-chan,” she said quietly. “I’ll not leave the work of protecting my home to others.”

Surprising everyone, Ayame crossed the courtyard and took Kagome into her arms, pulling her away from Inuyasha. “Good girl,” she said softly, hugging her former rival tighter. “Now let’s kick some bear youkai ass.”

* * *

Sayua, Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha stood at the gate between the shrine grounds and the forest. Kagome and Hideaki were with them, prepared to strengthen the barrier around the shrine as soon as they left. Beyond the gate, the bear youkai were lying in wait; they would have to use stealth if they wanted to take the bears by surprise.

“Please be careful, all three of you,” Hideaki said, hugging his mate tightly.

Sayua laughed and kissed his mating mark; he sighed. “It’ll be fine, mate,” she replied. “You have nothing to worry about.”

Hideaki’s laugh in return was tense and hollow. He pulled away from her and looked hard at all three of them.

“If there are too many of them, please retreat,” he said. “Kagome-sama and I will be here. We’ll let down the barrier enough for the three of you to pass through. And please, don’t do anything stupid.” Everyone looked at Inuyasha.

Kagome swallowed nervously. Inuyasha caught this and buried her in his fire-rat haori. “It’s gonna be fine, koishii,” he said roughly. “I promise. I’ll come back.”

She reached up and kissed him. “I know. Just please…be careful.”

“Little brother,” Sesshomaru interrupted, “it’s time.”

Inuyasha grinned at her as he followed his brother and niece into the forest. “It’ll be all right, ‘Gome,” he said as he disappeared into the trees. “I love you.”

Kagome fell to her knees, tears dripping down her cheeks. “I know,” she whispered. “But I might love you more.”

_Never_ , came his voice, gruff yet so gentle, from inside her head. Kagome’s tears fell faster.

“Kagome-sama?” Hideaki’s voice and hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality. He helped her to stand, and gently wiped away her tears. “We have a job to do, right?” She nodded tearfully. He took her hands into his own. “Then let’s do it.”

Hideaki and Kagome stood together, hands clasped between them. Together, they each reached back, into their third eyes, and pulled out their power. Hideaki’s burned a deep purple; Kagome’s was a heated magenta. Their auras shot up into the sky and twisted together, pink and purple intertwining. A loud explosion shot up over the shrine grounds. Inu, boar, ookami, and kitsune all turned their faces upwards and watched, expectantly, as they saw the massive protective barrier fall over the shrine. Kouga, Ayame, Kashikoi, and Asuka held their breath, watching the pink and purple shell slowly cascade down above them.

“Kagome did _that_?” exhaled Ayame at last.

Asuka grinned. “Auntie and my brother-in-law are pretty amazing, huh?”

“So long as they can keep up the barrier,” Kouga said gruffly, “we’ll have a chance.”

The light from the barrier reached the confines of the forest, where Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Sayua were skulking quietly towards the clearing where they knew the bear youkai were gathered. The three paused to look up at the sky; Inuyasha muttered, “that’s my girl,” and Sayua allowed a brief, forced smile to cross her face. The knowledge that their friends and family were relatively safe gave them the motivation to keep going forward.

They crept along, keeping to the shadows and watching carefully for underbrush, when Sesshomaru suddenly put his hand up. Inuyasha and Sayua stopped. Sesshomaru turned to them, nodded in the direction of the forest once, and silently drew the Bakusaiga. He pointed to Sayua first, then to Inuyasha, then to himself. His brother and niece nodded, drawing their swords as well.

Inuyasha’s ears twitched, trying desperately to pick up any sound in the forest. Very faintly, he could hear the voices of the enemy, not bothering to be quiet in the forest—in _his_ forest. He growled softly. He was gonna annihilate those bear fuckers.

“We go _now_ ,” Sesshomaru barely breathed. He pointed at Sayua again, and she nodded, taking the lead, her sword drawn. Inuyasha followed, Tetsusaiga at the ready, with Sesshomaru and Bakusaiga last. Sayua was an excellent tracker; she led them through the forest, avoiding loose branches and bushes, and they were quickly only a few meters away from the cleaning. Sayua looked back at her father and uncle; they nodded. With a roar, Sayua tore into the clearing, her sword aloft, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru quickly following.

The bear youkai were mapping out their attack; a number of them stood around a large piece of paper, talking quietly. At Sayua’s howl, they looked up, surprised, and had little time to respond because Sayua shrieked, “ _Mobufuki-ha!_ ” and ice shards shot from her sword and into the clearing. The bears howled in pain and rage. Inuyasha immediately followed her attack.

“Niece, get back!” he roared. “ _Kaze no kizu!_ ”

Sesshomaru shoved his daughter aside and raised his sword. “ _Bakusaiga!_ ” he screamed.

The demonic energy surrounding the Tetsusaiga captured the wind and blew forth in a rapturous fury, laying annihilating trees and blowing away rocks. The Bakusaiga, not to be outdone, shot its demonic energy out and across the clearing in bright purple sparks and crackles. Anything that it touched would not be able to regenerate.

When the dust cleared, all the bear youkai lay scattered across the forest floor in pieces. Sayua peeked out from behind a tree; Inuyasha and Sesshomaru stood back-to-back, swords at the ready, their chests heaving.

Sesshomaru motioned to his daughter. “Sayua.” She quickly joined her father and uncle, creating a triangle defensive position. They stood quietly, listening for breathing, for any sound, for any movement.

There was nothing.

“We didn’t get them all,” Inuyasha muttered. “Look lively. Someone’s bound to come at us.”

But it was still silent. Then, Inuyasha heard something that caused his chest to squeeze, that caused his heart to turn cold and fall.

“ _INUYASHA!!”_

His eyes tinged red and purple jagged streaks appeared on his cheeks. He dropped his sword; when he spoke, his voice was rough and conveying a sense of no mercy. “ _Kagome._ ”

“Little brother,” said Sesshomaru warningly, “we cannot deviate from the plan.”

Inuyasha growled in response.

“Please, Uncle,” Sayua said desperately, “you cannot leave us here. We have to stick to the plan!”

Inuyasha only growled again and gripped the Tetsusaiga tighter. “Don’t make me fight you, _Brother_ ,” he snarled.

“Yes, by all means,” said a mocking voice from just outside the clearing, “don’t fight each other. _Please_.”

Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and Sayua looked up. A tall brown bear youkai entered the clearing, flicking his claws lazily.

“Who the _FUCK_ are you?” Inuyasha positively screeched, his face losing all sense of humanity.

The bear laughed. “Isn’t this lovely?” he said instead. “The Lord and Prince of the West, and my Lady,” he mock-bowed. “It’s _so nice_ to officially meet you all.”

Inuyasha was barely holding on. His youki was ready to unleash all its fury on this damn bear.

“This Sesshomaru demands to know who you are,” Sesshomaru said coldly, the Bakusaiga ready and waiting.

The bear dipped his head. “Hokutou.” He grinned, his bear fangs dripping with drool. “Ussuri was my brother.”

“Fuck,” Sayua breathed. Inuyasha rumbled loudly next to her. Only Sesshomaru remained nonplussed.

“And you are here to…” Sesshomaru inquired, not even bothering to finish his sentence.

The bear grunted. “Finish you off, _my Lord_.” He drew a sword from his side and rushed at Sesshomaru, who deflected him with a flick of Bakusaiga.

“This Sesshomaru recommends that you cease this silly war,” Sesshomaru commented, easily parrying each move the bear threw at him. Inuyasha made to rush forward, but Sayua held Inuyasha’s arm, keeping him from getting involved. “Let my Lord Father handle this, Uncle,” she whispered. “Please. Keep your youki under control.”

Inuyasha jostled against her grip. “Kagome,” he said again, his eyes on fire.

“We’ll go to her,” Sayua reassured him, flinching as metal clanged against metal around the clearing but not allowing her hold on him to go slack. “I promise.” She frowned; after they heard Kagome scream, she suddenly suspected that their attack had actually been a distraction, something to lure Inuyasha and Sesshomaru away from the shrine, and she was worried. There weren't as many bears here as they were anticipating. Did they go to the shrine? Fearing for her own mate, Sayua understood Inuyasha's desire to get back as soon as possible.

“You thought,” Sesshomaru said quietly, dodging or countering the bear’s every move, “that you could make a move against this Sesshomaru’s family.” He brought the Bakusaiga down hard against the bear’s sword; Hokutou needed two hands to block Sesshomaru’s blow. Sesshomaru brought up a leg and jammed it into the bear’s middle. Hokutou grunted and flew back into a tree, cracking it in half as he sank to the ground. Sesshomaru stalked towards his prey, sword still raised.

“You thought,” he continued, in the same deadly calm tone, “that you could take what belongs to the Lords. That you could take what belongs to this Sesshomaru and to his kin.” The bear blinked his eyes; Sayua could see him trying to pull himself together. Sesshomaru feinted with his sword in his right hand, and cracked his energy whip with his left. Hokutou ducked under the whip, but only barely. He leapt backwards into a tree.

“Chase me then, Lord of the West,” he taunted. “But see if you can catch up before I burn the shrine to the ground…and the miko along with it.” With a flash of his claws, Hokutou was gone.

“You bastard!” roared Inuyasha. He made to go after the bear, but Sesshomaru held out his hand. Inuyasha stopped, growling, more inu youkai than hanyou.

“Wait, little brother,” said Sesshomaru. “Do not allow him to goad you. We will follow, and we will attack at will.”

“Kagome,” Inuyasha said. His eyes still red with blue pupils, he snarled and his fangs dripped with drool in anticipation. Sayua shuddered at the scent of bloodlust permeating from her uncle.

“Yes, little brother,” Sesshomaru replied. “We go to your miko.”

* * *

The air around the shrine crackled with all the youki brushing up against the barrier created by Hideaki and Kagome. It was tense as everyone waited for the arrival of the bear youkai. Ayame stayed close to Kouga, with Asuka close behind them. Kouga lifted his nose to the air and howled. The wolf youkai on the grounds, humanoid and wolf, lifted their heads and howled in return. Ayame shivered.

“They’re here,” she whispered.

Standing just inside the gate that linked the grounds to the forest, Kagome and Hideki kept their eyes closed, their hands linked, and maintained their concentration. Asuka left Kouga and Ayame and hurried over to her aunt and brother-in-law, who stood silent and sweaty from their efforts. Kagome’s ponytail floated straight up in the air, whipping gently in rhythm with her breath. Suddenly there was a whoosh of pink light shooting from between her hands, causing Hideaki to wince slightly in surprise and pain from the force of her aura. She shot her aura up into the sky, wiling the barrier stronger and stronger. Asuka took a fighting stance beside her family, ready to protect them.

And she needed to. Because the bear youkai were at the gates.

The first bear to reach the gate was flung back by the barrier and promptly turned to ash by its power. The other bears saw this, and shrank back from the barrier. Asuka watched, fascinated, as the bears paced outside the shrine, growling and spitting and shaking their horrible claws at Hideaki and Kagome.

“Hold on, Auntie. Hold on, Brother,” Asuka murmured. Kouga, Ayame, and Kashikoi joined her.

“What’s going on, my Lady?” Kashikoi murmured, his beady eyes glinting against the pinky-purple light of the barrier.

“The bears can’t get in,” Asuka said, not taking her eyes off Kagome and Hideaki.

“Will this hold?” Ayame asked.

“The bears won’t want to risk their lives on the barrier,” Kouga said. “It’ll hold.”

“Wait,” Asuka said suddenly. “What in the seven hells is that?”

The bear youkai were parting, and striding forward were a large, black and red bear, and a small, hooded figure. The bear and the hooded figure seemed to be talking closely together. The figure stepped forward and pushed its hood back; they could see it was a dark-haired woman with fiery red eyes. She pulled several ofudas from the sleeves of her cloak, whispered some words, and flung them at the barrier. They crackled against the barrier, and Hideaki and Kagome began breathing deeply and heavily, in an attempt to maintain the barrier’s integrity. The ofudas hissed; the woman placed the tips of her fingers together and began to mutter. Hideaki and Kagome clasped their hands together more tightly; Kagome was turning pale and Hideaki was sweating more profusely. Hideaki started whispering words of encouragement to Kagome, whose face was strained with effort. The ofudas hissed again and dissipated. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Hideaki’s and Kagome’s countenances relaxed.

The woman on the other side of the barrier wasn’t giving up, though. She took a small potion bottle, also from the confines of her cloak, and motioned to the large black and red bear, who handed her a staff. She opened the bottle; Asuka and the others could see purple smoke emanating from the bottle.

“Fuck,” muttered Kouga. “Look at the jyaki coming off that bottle.”

The woman dipped the end of the staff into the bottle, then handed the bottle to the bear. He placed the stopper back on the bottle and slipped it into a pouch around his waist. The woman took the staff, muttered a few words, and hurled the staff, dipped end first, into the barrier.

The jyaki from the poison crackled against the barrier. It sparked and crackled. Hideaki sucked in a huge breath and shuddered; Kagome screamed as if in pain. “ _INUYASHA!_ ”

The barrier faded, just enough, and the bears took advantage. They charged the shrine.

Kouga and Asuka leapt forward; Kouga grabbed Hideaki, and Asuka grabbed Kagome, before they both collapsed. They rushed them out of the way and sat them up against the shed that housed the Bone Eater’s Well.

“Auntie?” Asuka asked worriedly.

“Kouga!” Ayame yelled.

“I gotta go,” he said to Asuka. “Watch them. See if they regain consciousness.” He turned and raced back to his mate, howling for his wolves to join them.

He found Ayame and Kashikoi, back to back, frantically fighting back the bear youkai. Kashikoi had turned into a massive boar; he was protecting Ayame by hurling the bears aside with his enormous tusks. Kouga roared; the Goraishi came to life on his hand.

“Mate, get down,” he bellowed; he swung his right hand and bolts of lightning shot forth form the Goraishi. Ayame knelt down and pounded the ground with her fist, sending up a whirlwind of leaves that pushed back any bears not impacted by the Goraishi. Even as they decimating the front line of bears, more and more kept coming through the shrine gates.

“Ginta! Hakkaku!” Kouga yelled. “Great ready!” The bears swirled through the front line of Kashikoi, Kouga, and Ayame; for every bear they took down, it felt like three more got through the gate. The bears swarmed over the buildings; they tore up the flagstones; they decimated the courtyard.

“Kouga,” Ayame panted, unleashing her Cutting Leaves over and over, “there’s so many of them.”

“I know it, mate,” Kouga replied bluntly. “There were supposed to only by fifty of them. Just where the _fuck_ did all these bears come from?”

“We’ve been hiding, Lord of the North,” came a sinister, familiar voice from among all the bear youkai. “Or did you forget all about us?”

Kouga looked up; the Goraishi gleamed against the night. “Hokutou.”

The bear youkai grinned; his sword raised, his fangs dripping in anticipation. “Usurper,” he hissed, and launched himself at Kouga. Kouga flew at Hokutou, the Goraishi crackling electricity. Ayame screamed as the bear and wolf met in a flash of light.

Ayame’s scream made Kagome’s eyes fly open. She looked around wildly. “What’s…what’s going on?” she exclaimed.

Gentle hands pushed her back when she tried to stand. “Auntie, please.” It was Asuka. “You must pull yourself together. We need your power.”

Kagome grunted. “Help me with my bow and quiver, Niece. Please.” Asuka immediately complied. She helped Kagome hook the quiver over her back, and gave her an arrow.

Next to them, Hideaki began to stir. He opened his eyes; Kagome and Asuka looked at him expectantly.

“My staff…” he murmured. Asuka handed it to him. He used it to pull himself to his feet. He took a few breaths, and his eyes slowly refocused.

“Brother, are you all right?” Asuka asked worriedly.

“I’m good,” he groaned. He looked down at Kagome. “You ready, Kagome-sama?”

Asuka now held out her hand and helped Kagome to rise. She nodded, moving her bow to the ready position.

“Let’s go hunt some bears,” she said grimly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Kagome FINALLY gets to be the hunter, not the hunted! See you at the next update, when the battle at the shrine comes to a head!


	33. The Bear Youkai's Last Stand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hokutou picks the wrong inu hanyou to battle. Kagome uses her powers. The bears make their last stand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime and/or manga. Everyone else belongs to me :)
> 
> Just a quick chapter to wrap up the battle at the shrine. A few surprises here, perhaps? Enjoy!

Inuyasha couldn’t be bothered to wait for his brother or his niece; his bloodlust was strong and he needed to find his mate. He allowed his youki to barrel through the forest unchecked, which drew countless bear youkai to him. But any bears that tried to get in his way, he merely sliced through them with the Tetsusaiga like they were paper. When the gates of the shrine were in view, he roared, swinging the Tetsusaiga with abandon, not caring if he felled trees along the way.

Once inside the gates, he started looking desperately for his mate. The bears came at him from every direction, but he didn’t care; their attacks were nothing against Tetsusaiga. He roared and howled as he sliced through bear after bear; in an instant, Sesshomaru and Sayua were beside him, joining him in the battle. Sayua expertly wielded her sword, gutting one bear while kicking another in the stomach, then thrusting the first bear off her sword at the second. Sesshomaru snapped his energy whip in all directions, taking out any bears his brother and daughter missed. They quickly cut a line through the battle; soon they saw Kagome and Hideaki, pale but alive, standing back-to-back with Asuka. Kagome fired arrow after arrow, purifying bears left and right; Hideaki and Asuka protected her, Hideaki unleashing ofudas to purify the bears, and Asuka tearing the bear youkai apart at the limbs with her short sword if they got too close.

Then, too close to their family, they saw the bear Hokutou; he and Kouga were locked in fierce battle. Kouga’s Goraishi was matching Hokutou’s sword blow for blow; the Goraishi wasn’t making much impact on the bear’s sword, but Kouga’s body blows seemed to be slowing the bear down a little.

Suddenly, a pink arrow whistled through the air, narrowly missing Kouga and ricocheting off the bear’s sword. Howling, the bear looked up and saw Kagome, standing firm, her power whistling around her, creating a protective barrier. The bear grinned salaciously.

“Stay out of this, Kagome,” shouted Kouga, seeing the bear’s face and instantly becoming worried. “He’s not fucking around.”

Kagome nocked another arrow. “Neither am I,” she said grimly. She let another pink arrow fly; this one struck the bear nearest Hokutou, purifying it instantly.

Hokutou growled, shoving the wolf aside, and making for Kagome. “You love to kill bears, don’t you, little miko?” he said in low tone. Inuyasha snarled and pushed off with all his might, desperately trying to reach her before the bear did. _Fuck_ , he thought ferociously, _I’m not going to make it in time_. “ _Kagome!!!_ ” he bellowed, willing his legs to move faster.

But it was Sesshomaru who reached Kagome first. Faster than anyone could ever move, he raced to block the bear’s attack, deflecting him with an easy flick of his energy whip. It lashed out and struck Hokutou; he yowled in fury as blood spurted from his arm. Kagome gasped and turned pale, but shuddered in relief, nocking another arrow and holding it steady. In front of her stood Sesshomaru and Sayua, hair blowing nobly in the breeze of the battle, faces hard and resolute.

Sesshomaru nodded, and Sayua stepped forward. “This Sayua will be your opponent,” she said to the bear youkai quietly. “Let my aunt alone.”

Hokutou snorted. “Whatever.” He cracked his claws and faced her. “I’m gonna fuck up your pretty little face, girlie.”

Inuyasha raced to Kagome’s side as Sayua stood calmly before the bear. “Are you all right?” Kagome whispered to him, lowering her bow and arrow. He grunted, his bloodlust fading as they were reunited. He kissed her, relieved to feel her lips against his at last. “What’s Sayua doing?” she added. “Is she crazy?”

“My mate wants to prove herself in battle to her father,” Hideaki said, knocking aside a bear youkai with his staff and joining them. He hurled a few ofudas at the bear, who yowled as it turned to ash.

“My sister _is_ crazy, Auntie,” added Asuka, “but she’s incredibly skilled. She’s earned this chance.” She smirked, expertly twisting her sword through a bear that got too close to her. “Just don’t tell my mother.”

“And we’re all here to look out for her,” Inuyasha said, punching a bear youkai in the face and slicing through its trunk, splitting it in two. “She’ll be fine.”

Sayua faced off against the bear youkai. “The bears have been a thorn in my Lord Father’s side for hundreds of years,” she said. “They have wrongly accused the Lord of the North of being a usurper; they have conspired repeatedly to kidnap the Shikon no Tama no miko, who is my Aunt and the wife and mate of the Prince of the West.” She whipped her sword around impressively as she spoke. “This Sayua will not tolerate such behavior from those under my Lord Father’s protection.”

“So let your Lord Father fight me then,” Hokutou mocked.

“Are you afraid to fight a woman?” she mocked him right back.

“I fear nothing, little girl,” he growled. “But you should.”

Sayua howled and swung her sword at the bear. “ _Mofubuki-ha!_ ” Shards of ice shot forth from her sword and impaled the bear; he threw up his sword to block the shards, but he couldn’t stop them all. They struck him on the arms, the legs; one struck him in the shoulder. He snarled and launched himself at Sayua.

Hideaki started but Inuyasha held him back. Kagome covered her eyes, and Asuka clung to her aunt, horrified. Only Sesshomaru, still by the gates, was unmoved by the battle unfolding before them.

Sayua threw up her sword and parried the bear’s attack. She shoved her sword forward and he put up his claws on the sword to block. Sayua pushed as hard as she could, but the bear was stronger and his strength drove her back. She let go and flipped into a backwards somersault, away from the bear, landing in a crouching position, watching the bear carefully from her spot on her haunches. She gathered her strength as he stalked her, his eyes on her sword. Sayua took a deep breath, thinking back to her training, remembering to watch her sword side. She saw him watching her; she saw him growl in delight at the idea of bringing down a member of the House of the West. A rage began to build in her; her eyes tinged red, and red streaks not unlike her father’s jagged down her cheeks. Her breathing became ragged; her hair blew up and out of her face on its own.

For the first time, Sayua knew what it meant to have a bloodlust. And she wasn’t going to let it go.

Howling with her newfound fury, it was Sayua’s turn to hurl herself at her opponent. Instead of raising her sword, she raised her fist, and slammed it into the bear’s face. She snickered at the look of surprise on his face; the bear youkai hadn’t been expecting a woman to hit him with such force. But Sayua wasn’t any woman. She was the daughter of the Lord of the fucking West.

It took the bear a moment to collect himself after getting hit so soundly, but he quickly regrouped and jabbed wildly at Sayua, all thoughts of her being a woman gone from his mind. He swiped wildly at her with his sword, but his following fist jammed into her cheek, causing her to go flying into a shed. The bloodlust and the adrenaline propelled her forward without even missing a beat. She flew at the bear, her fist ready to make contact again. This time he was prepared, and parried with his sword, his fist coming up on her blind side. Sayua remembered her father's advice and protected herself, bringing up her sword to meet his fist.

Back and forth they went, fists flying and swords flashing, drawing the attention of all the youkai and humans present. The bears gathered around the battle, so thickly it was almost hard to see. Inuyasha knew this was a perfect moment to take out the bears, if he wouldn't take out his niece, as well. He felt Kagome and Asuka by his side; his mate trembled for their niece. He pulled them both close. They watched as Sayua nimbly dodged his punches and countered ably. Then, grabbing an opportunity, she used the hilt of her sword to jab the bear in the stomach, then swept her leg under his, pulling him down.

“Uncle, Auntie, Lord Kouga, Father, now!” Sayua shrieked. Inuyasha pulled out his sword as Sayua and Sesshomaru raised theirs. Kagome rapidly nocked an arrow and fired. Kouga leapt forward. Sayua screamed, but it was a scream of pain.

“ _Mofubuki-ha!_ ”

“ _Kaze no kizu_!”

“ _Goraishi!_ ”

“ _Bakusaiga!_ ”

The attacks hit the bear, with a great flash of light that crackled and shot forward like a sonic boom. Kouga quickly jumped back, grabbed Ayame and covered her with his body, while Kashikoi dropped to his hind quarters as the attack came dangerously close to him. Hokutou yowled in pain as his body was ripped to shreds, as was the body of every bear within several meters of him.

When the dust cleared, all the was left of Hokutou and the nearby bears was a pile of dust and bones. Any remaining bears were squealing and running in all directions, Inuyasha, Kagome, Kouga, Kashikoi, and the rest of inu, boar, and wolf youkai taking them out as they fled. Sayua kneeled close beside the remains of the leader of the bears, breathing heavily, holding her gut. Sesshomaru was by her side in an instant, as was her mate.

“Daughter,” said Sesshomaru, gripping her hand and gently lifting her into his arms, “you did well.”

She grunted. “Father.” She turned. “Hideaki?”

“Right here, koishii,” said her mate, holding her other hand. When he saw her condition, he tried not to cringe.

Sesshomaru brought her to the others. “Miko,” he said, looking at Kagome.

“Yes, my Lord,” she replied immediately, lowering her bow. Sesshomaru set his daughter on the ground; they all gathered close and could see her injuries. Inuyasha paled while Asuka hid her head in his haori. Ayame gasped and clutched Kouga’s arm. Kouga was pale and clearly shaken.

Sayua’s gut was slashed open; parts of her stomach and intestines were threatening to fall out. Her skin was tinged green and covered in pus. Her breathing was labored; her skin was ashen.

Sesshomaru and Hideaki looked at her; for the first time, Inuyasha saw real concern on his brother’s face. Sesshomaru looked up at Kagome. “Now,” he said.

“Right.” She kneeled beside her niece and got to work. The green tinge was from poison, she knew; it must have been the same poison that Kurokuma used to attack Inuyasha. She had to be careful, though; one slip and she could purify Sayua, which, given her current state, could kill her.

“Lord Kouga, Lord Kashikoi,” Sesshomaru said suddenly. The wolf and boar immediately appeared by his side. “Make sure there are no more bear youkai on this property. Use any means necessary to eliminate them.”

Kouga and Kashikoi nodded. “Consider it done,” said Kouga, and they left to search the grounds for any remaining youkai, Kouga howling for his wolves to join them.

“Little brother, younger daughter,” said Sesshomaru next, “protect us. Nothing gets by you.”

Inuaysha nodded, the Tetsusaiga ready to defend. “Nothing,” he agreed. Asuka stood beside him, tears streaming down her face, her own short sword also at the ready.

With all the chaos around her, it was hard for Kagome to concentrate on healing Sayua, but she closed her eyes and allowed her Third Eye to take control. She felt her power course down her arms and out her fingers; she held her hands over Sayua’s midsection, imagining as best she could how to fit the pieces of her niece’s body back together. When she finally had the stomach and intestines where she _thought_ they belonged, she turned her attention to the skin.

Sayua’s skin had been rendered almost unsaveable by the bear’s claws. Kagome held her hands over Sayua, wiling her power to cover her niece’s body and heal that which had been so badly poisoned and torn. Sesshomaru and Hideaki watched as gentle pink streams came forth from Kagome’s hands and massaged the skin, gently bringing it back to a healthy color. Then, she moved her hands back and forth over Sayua’s belly, allowing the skin to spread and grow. When Kagome finished, Sayua was breathing normally, and color had returned to her cheeks. Kagome sat back, proud but wobbly, and examined her work.

“Little brother,” said Sesshomaru at last. Inuaysha looked over, and saw Kagome sway back and forth. “Inuyasha,” she said in a small voice, her eyes bright. He caught her as she fell and held her closely to his chest. “You did well, wife,” he murmured, and she smiled faintly, barely conscious.

Inuyasha lifted Kagome gently in his arms. Sesshomaru rose and stood beside his brother. Together, they surveyed the damage.

The shrine house still stood, but one whole side had been gouged out by the force of the attacks the property had faced. The shrine itself appeared largely unharmed, as did the shed that housed the Bone Eater’s Well. But the grounds were a mess; flagstones upturned; massive piles of dirt and dust and debris everywhere; giant track marks in the ground where battles had taken place.

“It will take a while to rebuild, little brother,” Sesshomaru murmured.

Inuyasha shifted Kagome and smiled when she nuzzled his mark in her sleep. “Maybe we build our house inside the grounds?” he said wryly.

A hint of a smile crossed Sesshomaru’s face. “Hopefully this is the end of your miko attracting youkai, but yes, the grounds themselves would probably be more acceptable. We will build the house while we repair the property.”

Inuyasha grinned in spite of himself, then groaned. “Wait till Kagome’s ojiji sees what we’ve done!”

* * *

The witch had kept to herself during the battle, staying far from the fray and biding her time to attack the half-breed and the miko. Ideally, she’d wanted Hokutou to take out the half-breed, leaving the miko to her, but that hadn’t happened. Instead, the Lord of the West’s daughter, of all people, had organized the final drive against Hokutou and wasted both him and his army. He hadn’t even been able to do the _one thing_ she’d asked him to do!

Now, back in the den, alone, the witch sighed. She’d waited many years for Inuyasha and Kagome’s blood; she was excellent at exerting patience. She had one card left to play, and while that card wasn’t going to be dealt anytime soon, again, she could be very, very, patient.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that we've (hopefully) seen the last of the bear youkai, what's next for Inuyasha and Kagome? How about some peace and quiet (yeah, right, lol)! As always, thanks everyone so much for reading, and I'm looking forward to posting the next update <3


	34. Blessed By the Gods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome have their Shinto ceremony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime and/or manga. Every one else is mine :)
> 
> Hello all! I hope wherever you are, you are healthy and safe. 
> 
> Thank you again so much for all the support you've given this story. I love all these characters so much, so it truly means the world to me <3 
> 
> I felt like we needed a little pick-me-up today, so I'm happy to give you Inuyasha and Kagome's Shinto ceremony. I included some notes at the bottom about the ceremony itself, as well as the clothing. Enjoy!

Kagome looked in the mirror, hardly believing what she saw. She barely recognized herself. Her dark hair was pinned up in a traditional bun, although she’d insisted on allowing a few tendrils to escape around her face. Her furisode was a lovely shade of white, and the kakeshita trailing around her was padded and soft. Even when she’d lived during Sengoku Jidai, she’d never looked so much like nobility. She was married already, sure, but she couldn’t help but blush, her pink cheeks beautifully accessorizing her outfit.

“You look beautiful, you know,” her mother said, grasping kagome’s shoulders and then slipping her arms around her daughter.

“Like something out of a fairytale!” Rin exclaimed. “Your hair is perfect. Let me finish your makeup, Kagome-chan.” Rin turned Kagome’s face as Mrs. Higurashi let her daughter go. Kagome closed her eyes obediently; Rin applied eyeshadow, dark eyeliner, and mascara. “What do you think, oba-sama?” she asked Mrs. Higurashi.

Mrs. Higurashi clasped her hands to her chest. “Lovely, my Lady. You have a real talent.”

Kagome stood, the kakeshita of her furisode trailing around her. Suddenly, Rin handed her a long, thin box, smiling gently. When Kagome opened it, she found a beautiful fukuro obi inside. It was a silky cream with light gold brocade, barely noticeable against the cream. She found she was holding her breath.

“Allow me to tie it for you, Kagome-chan,” said Rin gently. She carefully removed the obi from the box and wound it around Kagome’s waist, expertly tying it. She stepped back to admire her work.

"Thank you, Rin," said Kagome. "It's beautiful."

Rin smiled. "It's our pleasure, Kagome-chan."

“The uchikake is next, dear,” Mrs. Higurashi said.

“I’m going to suffocate from all these layers,” Kagome replied.

“You only have to wear them for a little while,” her mother reassured her. “Keep Jii-chan happy for an hour, please.”

Kagome snorted, but allowed her mother and Rin to help her into the sparkling white uchikake. She thought all these symbols of purity were ridiculous, given she and Inuyasha had been mated for awhile now, but she didn’t have much choice in the matter.

It had taken nearly two months to restore the shrine to its former glory after the gruesome battle that took place on its grounds. Jii-chan almost had a heart attack on the spot when Sesshomaru finally allowed Kagome’s family to return to the property, and that was _after_ his people had cleaned up the grounds. Sesshomaru had stuck a sign at the bottom of the steps that read “Closed for Repairs” and then set about restoring the property. The shrine house had needed a whole new wall and foundation; the wall that was destroyed happened to protect the kitchen, laundry room, and bathrooms, so they’d had to install those brand-new. Kagome remembered how her mother had delighted in selecting new countertops and appliances, and was finally able to install the glass wall around the bathtub that she’d always wanted. When the house was finished, it was updated and pragmatic; exactly what her mother wanted and needed.

Sesshomaru’s restoration of the property had included one additional surprise: a small cottage for Inuyasha and Kagome, off to the side of the property, close to the forest. After the bear youkai attacked, as Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had decided, the forest was perhaps not the best place to build the cottage, opting instead for the safety of the shrine grounds.

While the rebuild had been going on, one more, very significant thing had happened. Inuyasha had told Kagome his idea after the battle, and she’d loved it, but didn’t know how the remaining Lords would take it. Turned out, they accepted his idea, too.

Inuyasha had recommended that Sayua be installed as the Lord of the East.

It was unprecedented; no woman had ever held even the position of heir, let alone ruler. The idea was so novel they didn’t even know what to call her. But Inuyasha firmly believed his niece had proven her worth at the bear youkai battle, and suggested to the remaining Lords that she be given the title, and that she be called “Lord” instead of “Lady,” since the latter didn’t have the same connotations. She’d earned it, with her victory over Hokutou. While the remaining lords expressed some hesitation over installing a woman, Sayua proved her worth again at the stadium, where youkai lined up to try and defeat her, and she brought them all down with ease. So with a lot of fanfare, Sayua was named Lord of the East, and just as Inuyasha had suspected, she was proving capable early on. She was a quick study, and had a thoughtful and critical mind, even if she still had Inuyasha's penchant for cursing. 

Sayua and Hideaki remained at Sesshomaru’s manor, and while the plan was for them to eventually move to a manor closer to the lands of the East, Kagome knew that Rin wasn’t ready to let her daughter go just yet. And it was too tempting for Sesshomaru to continue to “guide” Sayua as she grew accustomed to the day-to-day of royal duties. Having Sayua and Hideaki around also meant that Inuyasha and Kagome could continue with their training, although Hideaki and Asuka had taken over most of the sessions with Sayua now occupied with her duties as the Lord of the East.

Kagome smiled as Mrs. Higurashi and Rin fussed with her white uchikake, her thoughts going from Sayua to Inuyasha. He’d had no problem with Sayua taking a position that had once been his for the taking. Instead, Sesshomaru had offered him more responsibilites as Prince of the West, mostly related to security, which Inuyasha accepted with grace. However, he was content to remain at the shrine, helping Jii-chan, studying for college exams, working for his brother, and living in their house. And their little house was so perfect. Three bedrooms, two toilets, one showering area, and one luxurious bathtub. Much to Jii-chan’s chagrin, they had moved in as soon as the cottage was ready. Kagome had cried a little when she and Inuyasha packed up their old bedroom; it was in that room that he had come to visit her so many times over the years, and it was in that room where they shared so much love. But now they had an entire little house to themselves, and Kagome blushed thinking of all the ways they had christened their new home. Tonight, after their Shinto ceremony, she had one more way planned.

“It’s time for the wataboshi, dear,” Mrs. Higurashi said apologetically.

“Do I have to wear this thing?” Kagome muttered. “I think I’ve had all the bad spirits I’m going to deal with in my life.”

“One can never be too sure, dear,” commented Mrs. Higurashi, as she and Rin pinned the elaborate headdress into place.

“Now for one last touch,” Rin said, pulling out a tube of red lipstick. Kagome obediently pouted her lips, and Rin gently applied the red to her lips, following it up with some clear lip gloss to make Kagome’s lips shine. She stepped back, hugging Mrs. Higurashi around the shoulders.

“She’s perfect,” Rin said to Kagome’s mother.

Mrs. Higurashi sighed, a look of pure love shining on her daughter. “I know.”

Kagome blushed under the two older women’s appreciative gaze. Honestly, she would have much rather spent the money from this ceremony on the cottage, or on her university applications and exams, but this made her family happy, so she could endure what she perceived as a waste of money and an annoying costume to make them smile.

“Ready, dear?” Mrs. Higurashi asked.

Kagome took one last look in the mirror. She didn’t look like herself; she looked like a doll, dressed and made up for the ceremony. She wondered what Inuyasha would think. She sighed.  
  
“I’m ready.”

* * *

Inuyasha didn’t know that it was possible to be uncomfortable in a hakama and haori, but damn, if this wedding attire wasn’t going to be the death of him. He growled as Sesshomaru helped him with the layers of his clothing.

“This is no different than your fire-rat, little brother,” Sesshomaru said impatiently. “Just put everything on.”

Inuyasha put the kosode on, still grumbling, and then Sesshomaru helped him with his montsuki. Even though he was irritated, Inuyasha couldn’t help but admire the family crests adorning the front lapels and along the back: the wisteria, the flower of nobility, winding around a glorious sun, encapsulated his family perfectly. Inuyasha next stepped into the black and white striped hakama, feeling how smooth the material was against his legs. Finally, Sesshomaru slipped the black haori over his shoulders.

“You need to put on your tabi, little brother,” he told Inuyasha.

“Fuck that,” Inuyasha responded immediately. “You’re lucky you’re getting me into this, and I’m only doing it because the old man wants Kagome in traditional wedding gear. I would have much rather worn my fire-rat.”

“As long as he is alive, you are indebted to the miko’s grandfather for taking you in and caring for you,” Sesshomaru reminded him. “You would do well to remember that.”

“I’m not wearing any fucking socks that cut off circulation to my toes,” was the determined response.

Sesshomaru sighed, then turned his brother around by the shoulders. “Look in the mirror. What do you think?”

Inuyasha gazed at the figure in the mirror. The black of his montsuki and haori perfectly contrasted with his silver hair, which he had tied back with a black leather strap. He was not wearing his cloaking bracelet for the ceremony; Kagome had asked for no disguises, and besides, he wanted to marry Kagome, this time, exactly as he was.

“I look like a damn monk or something,” he grunted. Sesshomaru tried very hard to turn a laugh into a snort.

There was a gentle knock at the door. “Uncle?” came Asuka’s voice. “Auntie is ready. It’s time.”

“We will be there soon, Daughter,” replied Sesshomaru. He turned to Inuyasha. “Are you ready?”

Inuyasha adjusted his haori and took a deep breath. He smiled, thinking of Kagome and how she must look in her shiromuku. “I am,” he said.

* * *

The attendance for the wedding was small, as was tradition. Their families were there, as were Kouga, Ayame, and Kashikoi; and Kagome’s friend Yuka, her pointed ears and long cat tail on full display. As Kagome had requested that no one wear a cloaking bracelet, they had to be very careful about who they invited to the ceremony and reception. Everyone milled about the courtyard of the shrine grounds, waiting for Kagome to make her appearance. Then, the bride and groom would walk from their respective places, meet in front of the shrine, and make the final walk into the shrine together, followed by the ceremony attendees. There, Jii-chan and Hideaki would be waiting to lead the ceremony.

Inuyasha stood at the door to their cottage, nervous as fuck. His feet pressed anxiously into the flagstones, looking out to the shrine house, waiting for his first glimpse of Kagome.

“Breathe, little brother,” Sesshomaru gently reminded him. “You are already mated and married; this is merely a formality.”

“I know,” Inuyasha muttered, his ears twitching madly, hoping to hear Kagome open the door to the house.

“So why are you so anxious, then?”

“Because this is the big one, Sess. Everyone’s here; everyone’s watching.” Inuyasha hid his hands inside his haori, his head down.

Sesshomaru sighed. “It’s really just you and the miko. That’s it. Everyone else will fade away, little brother; you will see.”

Inuyasha’s ears picked up the sound of the shrine house door opening and closing. He looked up, and his breath caught at what he saw.

She was a fucking vision in white.

Pink-cheeked, red-lipped, and a serene face, partially shielded by the wataboshi, Kagome positively _glowed_. Inuyasha whined appreciatively, and made to go join his mate. Sesshomaru held him back for a moment, whispering, “let her have this moment.” Inuyasha watched as the wedding-goers basked in the view that was Kagome; even with Ayame there, Inuyasha didn’t appreciate Kouga looking at his wife for more than a second. Would he ever get over feeling like shit because of how he’d treated her when it was so clear that Kouga’s declarations of love were purely one-sided? His jealousy was more about how easily Kouga had always been able to compliment her, tell her how much he loved her, and back then, Inuyasha had only been mature enough to pick fights, and not mature enough to just be fucking honest and admit how he felt.

He hung his head again. He knew that he didn’t deserve her.

Suddenly, Sesshomaru was shoving him in the direction of the courtyard; he almost tripped over his own feet in an attempt to stay upright. Pulling himself to his full height, he walked over to where she stood, waiting for him, flanked by her mother and Rin. Everything was out of focus; his senses were in overload. Fuck, was he panicking? He sure hoped not, although every instinct was telling him to grab his mate and get the fuck out of there.

Across the courtyard, through the small throng of people, he saw her smile. A million-watt, luxurious, smile.

She was happy.

She wanted this.

She wanted _him_.

Inuyasha paused and took a deep breath, counting in for four and out for four. Slowly, the world came into focus again; _she_ came into focus again. He kept his gaze on her face, on her smile. And that grounded him. He found he was able to put one foot in front of the other. He found that he could walk to her.

He could hear the whispers of his family and friends as he and Kagome approached each other. “If only they’d been this nervous when they mated,” Asuka commented softly to her sister, “maybe we wouldn’t have had to hear them nonstop for those first few days.” Sayua snorted as Inuyasha growled at his nieces. She may have been the Lord of the East, but she was still just a little girl to him.

At last they reached each other, and took a moment to take the other in.

“Hey,” he said softly.

“Hi,” she said, eyes downcast.

“You look…” he had no words.

“Like a doll,” she said bitterly. “All dressed up and not myself.”

He choked as he tried to hold back a laugh. “Mate, you look stunning,” he said gently, taking her hands into his own. “It’s not you, but that’s okay. It’s for an hour. We wear these silly clothes, we give Ojiji his glory, and then we get out of them and into something more comfortable.” He smiled when she raised her eyes to his. “It’ll be fine, koishii.”

Her face flushed at his tender use of the term of endearment. “You look stunning, yourself, you know,” she said softly.

He smiled and led her towards the shrine, the rest of the wedding party following. They opened the doors to the shrine, where Jii-chan and Hideaki waited for them.

Jii-chan’s watery smile made Kagome feel warm in the pit of her stomach, while Hideaki’s lopsided grin made that warmth roll around. Inuyasha kept tight hold of her hand, and she squeezed it back, each keeping the other steady.

First Jii-chan performed the purification rites, and then he and Hideaki made the prayers for good luck, happiness, prosperity, protection from the gods, and fertility. (Kagome blushed at that one, and Inuyasha smirked.)

Jii-chan then read the marriage oath, to Inuyasha first:

“Inuyasha, you will marry this woman and become her partner. Will you in peaceful times, will you during sickness, this person love, this person respect, this person comfort, this person help? And until death, do you promise to fulfill these vows?”

Inuyasha paused and took a deep breath. He looked at Kagome beside him; she turned her eyes to him, larger and darker under the wataboshi than he was used to seeing them, and the tightness in his chest turned to a delicious warmth.

“Hai,” he said. “Chikaimasu.”

Jii-chan let out a little huff, then turned to Hideaki. Hideaki looked at Kagome.

“Kagome, you will marry this man and become his partner. Will you in peaceful times, will you during sickness, this person love, this person respect, this person comfort, this person help? And until death, do you promise to fulfill these vows?”

“Hai,” she said immediately, “Chikaimasu.”

Hideaki let out a little smile. Jii-chan then motioned for Souta to come forward; Kagome’s brother was dressed in traditional robes and carrying the sakazuki for the san san ku do. He poured the sake in each cup; Inuyasha and Kagome drank from the cups three times each, from each cup. When they finished the last cups, they grinned at each other. Officially, in the eyes of the gods, they were married.

Souta then poured more sake into the cups, and Mrs. Higurashi, Sesshomaru, and Rin stepped forward, symbolizing the two families being united. One by one, they each took three sips of sake from the three cups. Rin’s eyes were dancing as she sipped the sake; Sesshomaru was as expressionless as ever; Mrs. Higurashi’s eyes were a mix of anguish and joy.

Finally, Asuka and Sayua brought forth the sakaki branches for an offering. They gave them to Inuyasha and Kagome, who bowed and placed the sakaki at the altar. Inuyasha winked at Kagome, and together they bowed twice, and clapped twice, signaling the end of the ceremony.

“Since you already have your rings,” Jii-chan said dryly, “let’s all have some sake and celebrate the marriage of Inuyasha and Kagome.”

Out of nowhere, Rin and Mrs. Higurashi were handing out cups of sake, and everyone raised a cup to the (sort of) newlyweds. “Kanpai!” they all shouted, and drank.

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome around the waist; she hissed at the sudden contact and muttered something about her uchikake. “Fuck it all,” he murmured against her ear, and moved his lips down her jawline to kiss her deeply. She sighed and snaked her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

“Later,” she whispered.

“You owe me,” he said.

She chuckled against his lips. “Don’t worry, dog boy,” she replied softly. “You’ll get what’s owed you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! What surprise does Kagome have in store for Inuyasha? Find out at the next update! And as always, thanks so much for reading <3 
> 
> And now for the wedding notes, if you are interested:
> 
> Clothing:  
> Japanese wedding clothing for women is complicated! 
> 
> Kagome is wearing the shiromuku, or a traditional wedding outfit. It consists of white underclothes, a white furisode (kimono traditionally worn by unmarried women) with a trailing hem called a kakeshita, an ornate white obi (Kagome's is more of a cream color), and the uchikake, a thick and ornate kimono worn as a wedding coat. Kagome is also wearing a wataboshi, a wedding hood that is believed to hide the bad spirits that might be living in the bride's hair. Kagome would also be wearing tabi (split-toed socks) and zori (thonged sandals).
> 
> Inuyasha is wearing the traditional wedding attire for men, which consists of black and white striped hakama, a formal black kimono known as a montsuki that features the family crest, and a black haori as an overcoat. Because he's Inuyasha, he refuses the tabi and zori, and no one's going to push him on that ;)
> 
> The wedding is traditional Shinto, although Jii-chan was kind enough to allow Hideaki to help :) The wedding ceremony starts with a purification ritual, then prayers, then the marriage oath (of which I found several online and liked this one). Following that is the san san ku do, or basically, 3 X 3 = 9. Inuyasha and Kagome would each drink three times from three cups, for a total of nine sips of sake. I also read that sometimes the families will partake of the san san ku do ceremony as well, and thought that a nice touch. Having Souta pour the sake includes him, even though he cannot legally drink. And then finally, family members would bring forth sakaki branches to give to the married couple to leave at the altar; in this case, Asuka and Sayua. So, the whole family gets to be involved!


	35. Giving in to Instinct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha is bored by the reception, but admires Kagome's social skills (and Kagome in general). Kagome has a surprise for Inuyasha, but past memories give Inuyasha pause.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope this update finds you safe and well.
> 
> Thank you again for all your kind words, kudos, bookmarks, and subscriptions...it means so much to me! I've been super inspired to do some really solid writing on this story, and I am proud to say that I am finally writing the scene that inspired this whole thing! It only took me 160k words to get there, lol! You won't see it for a while yet, but in the meantime, I hope that you enjoy the upcoming twists and turns ^_^
> 
> And I forgot, but the end of this chapter is all lemon...

Inuyasha was fucking _bored_. He knew he was supposed to be playing the part of the newlywed, but the aspect of the role that he wanted to play, he wasn’t going to get to play for awhile. Not until their guests had left, anyway. He sighed and shoved his hands further into his haori, not feeling like drinking the sake that his nieces kept putting in front of him.

Kagome, on the other hand, was resplendent. After the ceremony and the photographs (of which there were way too many, if you asked him), she, her mother, and Rin vanished for what seemed like forever. When she at last returned, she was wearing a stunning black hikifurisode with gold and white lilies, a red and gold brocade obi, and a red, very small, trailing hem. Her hair was now tied back in a simple bun, with tiny curls escaping around her face. She wore lilies in her hair, and carried a bouquet of roses and lilies. Then there were more pictures, of course, and then, finally, they sat down to a magnificent dinner of sea bream sashimi, soba, crab and shark fin soup, and (one of Inuyasha’s favorites) steak and vegetables. Everyone enjoyed the meal and the company; Rin and Sesshomaru had made sure to provide plenty of sake, and a little alcohol always helps keep the conversation flowing.

And Kagome was the queen of the party. She barely ate at all, instead moving from person to person, making small talk, smiling and laughing and posing for pictures whenever someone requested. Inuyasha watched his wife and mate, smiling slightly, admiring the gleam of the curve of her neck (knowing her mark was just under the layers of clothing), the small tendrils of hair escaping her bun, the way that she touched his nieces so lovingly, when he was just annoyed by them. He couldn’t fucking come close to her when it came to socializing, and he was forever grateful to have married someone like her.

When it came time to cut the wedding cake, he smiled blandly for the pictures, not really enjoying the moment, but when he saw Kagome’s face, all lit up with the joy of the day, he couldn’t help but smile as they brought down the knife into the cake. She stood on tiptoe and pressed a kiss to his lips, and he purred against her mouth, causing her to moan slightly.

As the cake was served, instead of returning to her seat, Kagome took a moment to address the wedding party. Inuyasha tried desperately to get away, but she held firm to his arm, holding him in place by her side.

“I’d like to take a moment to say thank you,” she said, the small crowd growing quiet at her voice. “I want to thank Inuyasha’s family first.” She smiled slightly. “Sayua, Hideaki, and Asuka,” she said first. “Thank you for training us, for being patient with us, and for taking the time to teach us what we need to learn, even if we didn’t believe at the time that we needed it.” She turned to Sesshomaru and Rin. “Rin-onee-sama, Sesshomaru-sama, really, truly…” her eyes clouded over with tears, “…thank you. From the bottom of my heart. From the day we came back to this time, you have looked out for us, you have cared for us, and you have made sure that we were safe. You have always put our well-being first. And for that, I am forever grateful.”

Rin’s eyes shone with tears, and she held onto Sesshomaru’s arm. For his part, Sesshomaru was his usual stoic self, but Inuyasha could detect a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

Then Kagome turned to her family, and the tears spilled over.

“Mama, Jii-chan, Souta,” she said simply. “Thank you. For everything.”

Kagome’s mother stood and crossed to her daughter. She opened her arms, and Kagome fell into them, appreciative of her mother, as always.

“And now,” Kagome said, wiping tears away from her eyes, “please enjoy the cake!”

When Kagome returned to her seat, Inuyasha grabbed her hand. “You did well, wife,” he murmured.

She smirked. “Of course I did, _husband_ ,” she replied. “What else would I do?”

He frowned. “You’re much better at this than I am,” he told her.  
  
She turned to him, smiling widely now. “I’m sure we can find something you’re better at,” she said with a wink.

Inuyasha had never been so ready to get rid of people than at that moment.

* * *

Back at the cottage, Kagome took her time getting undressed. Although they’d been mated for four months, this was the first time they’d been alone—been together—since they’d been married in the eyes of the gods. Even though it shouldn’t be significant, it was. And Kagome wanted to make it count. She’d been talking to Rin about traditional inu youkai mating rituals, and was surprised that Inuyasha hadn’t asked her to partake in any of them yet. She wasn’t sure why he hadn’t, but tonight she planned to change that.

Tonight, she planned to fulfill his every desire.

Kagome sat in front of her vanity in their bedroom, pulling out the hairpins and quietly brushing her hair. Inuyasha had stayed behind at the shrine house to help Mama clean up; she decided to use this time to make herself ready for what she had planned. She needed it. She’d been poked, prodded, pinned, made up, and hair sprayed within an inch of her life today. Looking at herself in the mirror, she still didn’t fully feel like Regular Kagome. She still felt like Fancy Kagome, and she wanted to get back to Regular Kagome as soon as possible.

Using some wipes, she gently removed all the makeup that Rin had so lovingly applied. Once her face was clean, and her hair was down, she took off her hikifurisode and kosode, slipping on a fuzzy robe instead. She shook her head, feeling her hair falling fully around her face. She smiled: _better_ , she thought.

Kagome rose and went into their bathroom. She pulled out the stool and set it on the tile, then removed her robe. She unhooked the shower nozzle and proceeded to spray herself, rinsing the events of the day from her body, already becoming more relaxed. She washed herself and her hair quickly, sluicing the soap down the drain. Then she turned off the spray, wrapped herself and her hair in a towel, and ran the bath tub water. She sat on the edge of the tub, thinking about the day.

As the water swirled around in the tub, Kagome leaned over, trailing her fingers through the water that had already pooled there. She thought of Inuyasha. They’d had three “weddings;” their mating, their government union, and their spiritual union. All three were meaningful; all three were delicious in their own way. But it was probably this one that meant the most to her. The spiritual union was the one that she had grown up looking forward to, that she had grown up believing was the “real” marriage. And here they were: as married as they were going to get. She sunk into the bath water and smiled. Although Inuyasha had been a considerate, thoughtful lover, she knew that his youkai side was yearning to have the kind of mating it desired. Even when he’d let it out, he’d still made love to her in traditional ways: some derivative of missionary mostly, or with her on top. He had never asked her to copulate in traditional inu youkai ways. Why was he suppressing his youkai? Why was he not giving it what she knew it wanted? Her smile turned to a frown. Was there something missing for him? Was there something he wanted, something he believed that she couldn’t give?

No matter. Tonight, she would give all to him, and help him see that, human, hanyou, or youkai, she desired him. As much as she hoped he desired her.

* * *

Cleanup after the wedding was a fucking nightmare. But Inuyasha bore it as best he could.

He’d given Kagome leave to go home and rest and recover as best she could; he’d seen how fucking uncomfortable she was in the shiromuku, and even if the hikifurisode was more her style, he knew she’d been dressed and fawned over in a way she wasn’t used to. A few hours alone, in her own skin, was just what she needed. So he volunteered himself to Mrs. Higurashi, clearing the plates from the wedding dinner, packing up leftovers, and putting away the extra chairs. He helped Souta get undressed and bathed, and helped Jii-chan out of his haori and hakama. Everything a good son-in-law should do.

So why was he already so fucking tired and bored and wishing life had taken a different path for him and Kagome?

Because it had been so long since they’d done anything but was expected of them.

Now, heading back to their cottage, he wasn’t bitter—really, he wasn’t—but he felt like he needed something different in his life. Not something that accepting the title of Lord of the East would have provided, but instead, the opposite: a life without obligation, without decisions made about him, but not for him. There was little room for that now. He and Kagome were studying for college exams, and busily putting together their applications. They were training regularly with Hideaki, working on Kagome’s barrier and her ability to render herself invisible. It was all important for the future, but none of it, he felt, was he in control of. He was rocketing along a train track, where the departure and arrival were predetermined, and where the tracks were already set.

Fuck, he didn’t regret any of it, but he wished he could just be the driver of the train, instead of a passenger along for the ride.

He opened the door to the cottage. “Kagome?” he called.

Nothing.

He could sense her aura—she was shining like a beacon, which he wished she wouldn’t—but she wasn’t talking. He made his way to their bedroom, turning off lights as he went. When he got to the door to their bedroom, he was hit with the strong scent of Kagome’s arousal. His eyebrows raised; he was amused. What in the hells could she be doing?

Inuyasha opened the door. “Oi, Kagome,” he said gently, not really paying attention to her, “what’s happening in here?”

“Why don’t you come over here and find out?” was the husky reply.

Inuyasha stopped in his tracks. There was his wife, wearing nothing, touching herself on their bed. Her hands were roving all over her body. Her eyes were on him. “I could sense you coming,” she said quietly, two fingers inserted inside her glistening opening. “I wanted to be ready for you.”

Inuyasha chuckled; his youki was soaring in glee. “Wench,” he said thickly, watching her run her other hand everywhere else: over her breasts, her nipples, her stomach, her thighs. “You know how to surprise a guy.”

She laughed lightly, keening as her fingers moved inside her body. “Get over here, dog boy.”

She didn’t have to ask twice. Inuyasha bounded over to the bed and over her gyrating body. His lips found hers immediately, and he pushed her fingers out of the way and replaced them with his own. “You are so fucking sexy, mate,” he murmured in her ear.

“And you are all mine, mate,” she growled back. His youki thrilled at the darkness of her desire. She used her now free hands to rip the haori and kimono from his body; frantically, she pulled at the knot of his wedding hakama. She wanted him, and she wanted it to be rough. He could smell it in her arousal. Desperately, she pulled his face to hers and kissed him with all she had, running her tongue along his fangs. He moaned and hitched her bare ass up under him, using his other hand to pull down his hakama and boxer briefs. Never was he so grateful that he had decided on them instead of a fundoshi; that would have taken _forever_ to get off. She pulled away from him, breathing heavily, and turned her attention to his mark. As she licked and sucked at it, his youki howled, and he glowed red under her ministrations. She moved one hand down to work his cock, running her hand up and down his shaft, smearing it with his juices on the tip. Her pink aura rose to meet his youki.

“Do you want to make love to your wife, Inuyasha?” she asked him breathily. “The gods are now looking down on us favorably.”

He grunted and began sucking at her breasts, nipping and leaving bite marks. His youki was desperate for satiation. She chuckled and felt him, then herself, to make sure they were both ready. She then pulled away from him.

“Kagome…” he said, confused.

“Shhh,” she chastised him gently. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him, slowly. Then she got off the bed and bent over so that her arms were resting on the mattress, her ass in the air.

Inuyasha subsequently began to freak out. “Mate, what in the hells…?”

She laughed and looked up so she could see him. “I talked with Rin about inu youkai mating rituals. I’m surprised you haven’t asked me to do this yet.” Her voice grew soft. “I don’t mind, Inuyasha.”

He got off the bed too and circled around to where her ass was waiting for him, wiggling and magnificent. He bent over her back, sighing, running his cock over her ass and lining up with her entrance. _Fuck_ , he wanted to enter her this way—his youki was shouting in his head to take her like this, hard and fast—but all he could see was his dream from when he was trapped by the amanojaku, when he was Lord of the East and he was so rough with her. He pulled back.

Kagome sensed his hesitation and pulled back, too. She moved to sit on the bed and turned to face him. “Anata,” she said, “what’s going on?”

Inuyasha hesitated. It was silly, really…he knew it wasn’t real, and yet…it was _so fucking real_.

“When the amanojaku twisted our thoughts,” he said quietly, “I made to take you like that. I was full of bloodlust. It was going to be rough and…not entirely consensual.”

Kagome looked at him, surprised. This was not how she was expecting her treat for him to go.

“You do know that was only a dream, Inuyasha,” she replied, just as quietly. “I’m here, and I’m a willing and active participant in whatever we do. Hells, I’m initiating this. I want it. You’re not forcing me into anything. As I believe you once said,” she added, laughing lightly, “we’re fucking mated.”

Inuyasha smiled in return, his ears flicking in her direction. “Wench, there’s nothing I want more than to take you like this.”

“Then what’s stopping you?” she asked immediately.

“That dream was…so real,” he said honestly. “I can’t get the feeling of power and the desire to dominate you out of my head. And you were so…you were so sad,” he added. “I couldn’t do this with that image of you stuck in my mind.”

“Then let’s create a new image.” Kagome bowed her head and looked at him shyly from under her lashes. “Inu-ya-sha,” she said coquettishly, “Sometimes, like tonight, I _want_ to be dominated.”

Now it was his turn to look surprised. She sat back on her haunches and laughed.

“I may be a strong woman, anata,” she added, “but you taking me like that…it’s kind of a fantasy of mine.”

He blinked at her once…twice…and then, everything happened so fast.

He was on her in an instant, crushing her lips with his own, his tongue demanding entrance to her mouth. She allowed it, willingly and eagerly, meeting his tongue and swirling it against her own. They both groaned with desire. His hands ran over her body, feeling it as if it were the first time. Her skin was so pink and soft…he couldn’t get enough. He touched her nipples and she moaned as he took them in his claws and plucked and twisted; he could smell her arousal spiking all around them. Her aura was crackling pink with desire. He reached further down and was shocked to feel her wetness; it was as if they had never paused to have a discussion. She was there, she was hot for him, and she was ready.

“Koishii,” he murmured in her ear. She grinned, knowing exactly what to do. She rolled onto all fours, staying on the bed this time, and leaned forward on her elbows, wiggling her ass at him. He grunted loudly and moved his cock up and down the wet folds of her sex, then in one swift movement, he entered her. They both moaned at the depth he was able to achieve in this position. He grabbed her hips and held her steady as she rocked back into him, over and over, as though she couldn’t get enough of his cock from that angle.

“Fuck, ‘Gome,” he breathed, holding her hips steady as he met her thrusts. He felt his skin slap against hers; he felt his cock ramming deep inside of her. This was like nothing he had ever experienced before. His youki was swirling around him, howling and demanding that he go faster, go harder. Kagome seemed to agree; he could barely make out the “faster, anata” that she said into the mattress, her ass lifted ever so slightly higher in the air. That was all he had to hear as he began pounding into her, his grip on her hips tighter, his youki completely taking over, his eyes starting to tinge red. His desire was becoming flush with bloodlust, and he needed to empty into her. _Now_.

Kagome held tightly onto the bed, enjoying the feeling of being thoroughly fucked. Her breath came in short spurts, with barely any ability to breathe out his name, or anything else except for the occasional hitched breath or the word “fuck” as he hit that spot deep inside. She met him where he took her, reaching up with one of her hands to feel him slamming into her. She felt the slaps of skin on skin; she felt her body go weak at the thought that he was fucking her soundly. They’d had sessions of passionate sex before, where Inuyasha’s youki took the lead, but nothing compared to this.

Inuyasha was holding on by a thread; he felt insane with desire and was struggling to hold onto the last remaining shreds of his humanity. His eyes tinged red; he felt the depths to which he was reaching inside her, and he was growing harder and harder as her walls tried to hold onto him. He didn’t know if he would last another thirty seconds, so instead, he leaned forward over her back and began to play with her intimate parts. He ran his claws over her nipples, over her small bundle of nerves—and he pressed and pinched and made her keen like crazy. Her aura started coming off her in sharp fuchsia sparks.

“Anata,” she said in a hushed voice, “I’m close.”

He used that as an opportunity to pound into her relentlessly, feeling her body tense up under him, feeling her walls tighten and draw him in. He got caught up in the sea of Kagome and released a guttural howl as he came in her, before collapsing and pulling her close, still inside, not ready to relinquish the feeling of her delicious body.

Kagome fell forward on the bed, Inuyasha to her side, the two of them reaching forward and backward to hold the other. They lay together for several moments, feeling each other, still not ready to let go. Kagome chuckled. “Was that so bad, anata?” she asked teasingly.

Inuyasha pulled out and Kagome whined at the sudden disconnect. “Depends, wench,” he replied.

“On what?”  
  
Inuyasha reached forward and licked her face along the jawline from her chin to her ear. “Depends on how much you want to do it again.”  
  
Kagome moaned and rolled over so she was on top of him. “Good little hanyou pups need their rest,” she commented playfully. Her dark brown eyes were almost black with lust. “But first, let’s not waste a moment.” She lay patiently, rolling her hips until she felt he was good and hard for her again, and then she slipped back inside and began riding him, moving back and forth along his length, relishing the feel of him inside her. This time, she was close to him, and he was able to gently run his claws up and down her back, through her hair, over her ass—anywhere he could reach. And she kept her lips on him the entire time, moving her tongue as she desired, along his fangs, against his tongue, his strong jawline, his neck, his mark, and up and down his arms. She wanted him to stay inside her for as long as he could, and she would surround his beautiful and sacred body with her own, forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the reception, Kagome is wearing a hikifurisode, an elegant and elaborate kimono that is worn at wedding receptions. They are really gorgeous, and I encourage you to Google them so you can see how beautiful they are <3
> 
> On the next update: it's New Year's! How will Inuyasha and Kagome celebrate? See you all very soon!


	36. New Year, New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's New Years at the Higurashi Shrine, and everyone is gathered there for hatsumode and osechi ryori--including Suzuki-sensei. Kagome has some news to share, but not everyone is excited by it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the other characters from the anime and/or manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello everyone! Wherever you are, I hope you're safe and well.
> 
> Thank you SO much for the kudos and comments! They make my day in ways I can't possibly explain <3 
> 
> You're getting a very long chapter today! I couldn't decide where to split it, and so just posted it all in one take. 
> 
> There is a lemon about 2/3 of the way through the chapter.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Kagome was thrilled with the last practice of the year. Her form and her technique were spot-on, and she was earning marus over and over again. Even Suzuki-sensei looked pleased; a smile was regularly crossing her normally pinched expression.

Kagome was feeling so good about her final practice that she hung around for a few minutes while everyone said their goodbyes to Suzuki-sensei and to each other. She made like she was counting all her arrows to make sure she was taking home the appropriate amount for practice.

Finally, the room emptied out, and Kagome was left alone with her coach. She waved to Inuyasha to let him know she would need a minute; he smirked at her and whipped out his phone, scrolling absently. Kagome approached Suzuki-sensei slowly.

“Excuse me, Suzuki-sensei?” Kagome asked, maintaining a respectful distance.

Suzuki-sensei looked up from her notebook. “Yes, Higurashi-kun?”

“I just—wanted to thank you for this year. It’s been awesome to learn more about kyudo under your expert coaching. I feel as though I’ve grown so much. Before I joined the team, I could hit a target 50 meters away no problem. But I had no technique, no understanding of the importance of hassetsu and of the role of meditation in kyudo. Now, though, I get it. And I will dedicate myself to improving all aspects of my kyudo in the new year.” She bowed low.

Suzuki-sensei’s eyes crinkled under her glasses as she smiled. “Higurashi-kun,” she replied. “You _have_ come a long way this year. Thank you for all your hard work. My goal is to get you into nationals in February, so please keep working over the break.”

Kagome bowed again. “Thank you, Suzuki-sensei. I will.” Kagome paused, as if hesitating to say more. Then, she took a breath. “Suzuki-sensei?”

“Yes, Higurashi-kun?” Suzuki-sensei had returned to her notebook.

“Do you have plans for New Years?”

Suzuki-sensei looked up at Kagome, surprised. “New Years?”

“Yeah.” Kagome blushed. “Each year we open the shrine really early, like six am, and people come from all over for hatsumode. We usually do a tour of the shrine as well, and we’ve always told the story of our Goshinboku. We usually close the shrine about 6pm, and my mother serves the osechi ryori. My husband and his family will join us, and I hope you will be able to, as well.” Kagome smiled hopefully.

“Your husband?” Suzuki-sensei asked.

Kagome blushed even more deeply. “Yash and I got married in August at the Ward Office, and we had our religious ceremony in November. We’ve been keeping it quiet. I don’t want my marriage to interfere with my studies.”

Suzuki-sensei sighed. “Aren’t you a little young to be married? What does your family think?”

“My mother is happy. She knows how much I love him. My brother worships him. And my grandfather…tolerates him,” Kagome said with a smile.

“Well,” Suzuki-sensei said, “While I find Fujimura-san to be brash and careless, it’s clear he cares about you, and I am happy to congratulate you on your marriage. And spend the New Year with you and your family.”

Kagome’s eyes grew wide, but she recovered quickly. “Great!” Kagome clapped her hands together in excitement. “I’ll message you with the details, but plan on eating with us at 6 on New Year’s Day. If you want to come a little earlier for hatsumode, you’re of course welcome. I think we’ll be giving tours all day and doing a reenactment every few hours.” She turned to leave, then paused. “I look forward to seeing you, Suzuki-sensei. Really. And thanks for everything.”

“See you at New Years, Higurashi-kun,” replied Suzuki-sensei, not looking up from her notebook.

* * *

Kagome and her mother spent the week before New Years frantically cleaning the shrine house and the shrine grounds. Hatsumode was a huge event for the shrine: a chance to make a significant amount of money. A clean house and a clean shrine would bring good fortune. Souta even hung a shimekazari on the front door to try and bring extra luck.

New Years Eve was quiet. Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome made toshikoshi soba, and the family lounged in the living room, watching _Kohaku Uta Gassen_. Kagome lay curled on the couch in Inuyasha’s arms; Souta sat at their feet, while Jii-chan dozed in his chair and Mrs. Higurashi read a novel in her chair.

Kagome was especially silent. She’d been feeling…different…the past few weeks. Like something inside her wasn’t right. Since the night after they got married at the shrine. She couldn’t pinpoint it easily, but something was off. Her stomach was queasy; her breasts felt sore; she’d been spotting a little. And then she missed her period. She thought it could be stress. At one of her training sessions, she mentioned it to Asuka, and was shocked when her niece had immediately begun sniffing Kagome’s body intensely. Kagome recalled how Asuka’s eyes had gone wide, and she’d tossed off an excuse to Hideaki and Inuyasha and dragged Kagome out of the manor and to the nearest drugstore. She bought Kagome a pregnancy test, and then Asuka took her into her private bathroom and sat with her while Kagome peed on the stick and set the timer on her phone for two minutes.

But they didn’t need two minutes. Almost immediately the test showed a plus sign. Asuka insisted they wait the entire time anyway, but Kagome’s heart stopped beating as soon as she saw that it was positive.

 _A pup_.

“How is this possible?” Kagome had whispered, disbelieving.

“You’re on the pill?” Asuka asked. Kagome nodded. Asuka chuckled. “It is only 99% effective, you know. Have you been taking it regularly?”

“Yes,” Kagome said immediately, but then paused. “When we had the shrine ceremony,” she said slowly, “I may have missed a day or taken it at a different time. And maybe a few other times. It’s been a stressful few months.” Her eyes shone with unshed tears.

“Your mate has determined sperm, Auntie, and you’re especially fertile at this age,” Asuka told her. “It’s entirely possible that even the pill can’t stop Uncle from pupping you.” And she’d roared with laughter.

“But if you could tell, why can’t he?” Kagome couldn’t help but ask.

Asuka’s laughter continued. “Uncle is not exactly known for his…subtleties,” she snorted. “I’m sure he’s detected a change in your scent, but has no idea why. He can’t detect the reason behind the shift—he’s probably never smelled a pregnant woman before.”

“Can your sister and Sesshomaru…?”

“They can,” Asuka said immediately. “I’ll ask them to keep it to themselves for now. You tell Uncle when you’re ready.” She reached forward and grasped both of Kagome’s hands in her own. “We will support you, whatever happens, Auntie.” And she'd pulled Kagome into a hug.

That was three weeks ago. Kagome still hadn’t told Inuyasha. She wasn’t scared, exactly, but she had to admit that she didn’t know how he’d react. She knew he wanted pups. She knew he wanted to pup her. And the reality of the situation was simple. She was pregnant, and in a few months, there would be a cute, little pup, hopefully with Inuyasha’s ears.

She had to tell him soon. Asuka was after her to get to a midwife, and had a few names of midwives who specialized in youkai births. A hanyou birth would be a little different, but Asuka was confident her recommendations would be able to help. But Kagome didn’t want to go to the midwife until she told Inuyasha, and she’d been waiting for the right moment. New Year’s seemed to be the perfect time.

On the couch, Inuyasha ran his hands through Kagome’s hair, his claws gently working through the tangles. “All right, mate?” he asked her softly.

She turned back to look at him and smiled. “All right,” she replied, sighing back into his chest.

 _Tomorrow,_ she thought. With the new year, and the new life, tomorrow seemed like the perfect time.

* * *

New Year’s Day all the occupants of the shrine were awake and moving before dawn. The grounds needed to be swept; omamori, omikuji, and ema needed to be set out, and Kagome and Inuyasha ran through their tale of the Goshinboku one last time before the shrine opened to the public.

Inuyasha was really worried about Kagome. She had been awfully quiet the night before, and actually, she’d been quieter in general the past few weeks. She hadn’t even wanted to go out for Christmas Eve, and according to Souta, that holiday was special for couples: a night set aside for romance. Instead, Inuyasha had brought home their fried chicken and cake, and they’d eaten by themselves, in the cottage, at their kotastu, the television softly blaring. And while what they did _after_ was completely satisfying, he had to admit that even then she’d been quieter than normal.

Today, watching her in her traditional miko gear, quiver of arrows strapped to her back and the bow slung over her shoulder, he could smell her nervousness and fear. But every time he asked her what was wrong, she shrugged it off and told him she was fine.

She wasn’t fucking fine, though. She was scared shitless of something, and she wouldn’t tell him what.

He decided that if she wasn’t going to tell him the next time he asked, he would go to her mother and hopefully together they’d be able to get out of her what was wrong.

Promptly at 6am, the shrine opened. There were hordes of people waiting in line to be the first ones into the shrine to make their purchases, make their prayers, ring the bell, and make their offerings. Inuyasha in his fire-rat haori and Kagome in her miko gear made quite the spectacular greeters to the shrine-goers. Lots of people wanted to stop and get their picture taken with them; Inuyasha grumbled the whole time, but Kagome kept her hand in his, murmuring platitudes to keep him from running his claws through the whole lot of them. At least he didn’t have to wear his cloaking bracelet; everyone thought his “costume” was outstanding and he got lots of compliments on how “real” his ears looked.

Then, every two hours, Inuyasha and Kagome ran through the story of their Goshinboku: how a miko and hanyou had fallen in love, but were tricked into killing each other by an evil demon. Then, how the miko had sealed the hanyou with her sacred arrow (at which point Kagome nocked an arrow, infused it with her aura, and shot it towards Inuyasha, with the arrow flying past him and hitting the tree behind him—the crowd _loved_ that part, especially when her aura caused pink sparks to fly out of the tree trunk when her arrow struck it). Then, how another miko found the hanyou fifty years later and freed him, and they fell in love and lived happily ever after, defeating dangerous youkai and using their powers together (at which point Inuyasha raised his Tetsusaiga to the sky and Kagome fired another sacred arrow), and the “show” concluding with them kissing and thunderous applause. Inuyasha tried really hard not to roll his eyes, but Kagome smiled sweetly at the shrinegoers and encouraged them to go buy their charms and make their offerings for the New Year. He knew this re-enactment was a huge reason people were coming to their shrine, and purchasing their charms. And, Kagome was actually happy, especially when she murmured to him that this could be the best New Years financially for the shrine in quite awhile.

Somewhere along the way, Inuyasha’s family had made their way to the shrine. Rin led her daughters, her arms linked in theirs, to the shrine to make their offerings and purchase their omamori. Hideaki and Sesshomaru followed, Sesshomaru looking incredibly bored by the human holiday and the chaos of the shrine. Mrs. Higurashi was thrilled to see them, embracing everyone (even Sesshomaru, whose face when she hugged him made Inuyasha and Kagome roar with laughter), and reminding them to stay for the osechi ryori. Rin happily agreed before Sesshomaru could say no. Asuka and Sayua greatly enjoyed the Goshinboku demonstration, Sayua telling Kagome later that she should have made it little closer between the sacred arrow and her uncle’s head. Inuyasha growled and chased his niece around the shrine, Sayua laughing the whole time.

Kagome had been scouring the crowd for Suzuki-sensei. It was getting close to six o’clock: time for the shrine to be closing soon. Finally, she spotted her kyudo coach coming out of the shrine, an omamori in her hand. Kagome rushed over to her and bowed.

“Suzuki-sensei,” she said politely, “thank you so much for visiting our shrine today.”

Suzuki-sensei smiled. “It’s my pleasure, Higurashi-kun.” She looked around, her tortoise-shell glasses slipping down her nose a little. “Your family shrine is lovely,” she commented.

Kagome beamed. “Thank you so much,” she replied. “Let me take you to meet my mother.”

Suzuki-sensei allowed Kagome to take her arm and lead her over to Mrs. Higraushi, who was managing the charm sales. She looked up when Kagome approached.

“Mama,” Kagome said, “this is my kyudo coach, Suzuki-sensei.” She turned to Suzuki-sensei. “This is my mother.”

“Higurashi Keiko of Higurashi Shrine,” Mrs. Higurashi said, bowing. “Thank you for being such an excellent mentor to my daughter.”

“Suzuki Kyoka of Azuma Senior High School,” Suzuki-sensei said, bowing as well. “Thank you for raising such a well-mannered, ambitious daughter.”

“You will be joining us for osechi ryori tonight, I believe?” said Mrs. Higurashi kindly.

Suzuki-sensei nodded. “I look forward to it.” She turned to Kagome. “I’m going to go wander about for a bit. I’ll see you soon, Higurashi-kun.” She bowed again to Mrs. Higurashi and walked away.

“Mama,” said Kagome suddenly, “how much time until we close?”

Mrs. Higurashi pulled out her phone and checked the time. “About thirty minutes.”

“Do you want me to go in and finish preparing our meal?” Kagome asked. “I’ll get Inuyasha to help me.”

“That would be lovely, dear,” replied Mrs. Higurashi. “Thank you.”

“I’ll ask Inuyasha’s nieces and Hideaki to help with the cleanup,” Kagome said. “I’m sure they’ll be happy to do so.”

Mrs. Higurashi nodded, so Kagome ran to find her nieces and the monk and asked them to help clean up after the shrine closed. They nodded; Asuka gave Kagome a questioning look, and Kagome gave a slight nod. Asuka grinned and nudged her sister, who grinned as well. Kagome ran off to find her husband.

Inuyasha was hiding in the shed that housed the Bone Eater’s Well when Kagome found him. He had been an excellent help all day; the crowds were getting to him, though, and he needed a break. He was glad to see his mate; he needed to ask what was eating away at her.

“Mate,” he said with a grin.

“Hi,” she said, coming over to him and kissing him. “Sorry for subjecting this to you all day.”

“Keh,” he replied. “It’s good for your family, so it’s good for me.”

“Let’s go to the shrine house,” she suggested. “You can help me finish prepping the osechi ryori.”

“Sounds good,” he answered, putting his arms around her and holding her close. Kagome couldn’t help but notice his eyes drawn to the well.

“Still thinking about going back?” she asked softly, her eyes watery.

He held her closer and buried his face in her hair. “Wherever you are, I’m happy,” he murmured. “That’s the truth.”

She smiled and pulled away for a moment. “You don’t have to be sorry if you’re homesick,” she said, cupping his face with her hand. “I really do understand.”

He nuzzled her hand with his face, making her sigh. “I know you do, mate.” He kissed her hand and straightened up. “But we’re here, and we’ve made the best of it so far, don’t you think?”

She ran her hand down his shoulder, down his arm, and gripped his hand in hers. “We have.” She tugged him towards the door of the shed. “Let’s go finish the meal.”

* * *

“A lot of the ryori is already prepped,” Kagome said to Inuyasha as they filled the layers of the ojubako. Since there were so many of them, Mrs. Higurashi had decided to make two ojubako instead of the customary one. Kagome worked on creating the datemaki, while Inuaysha mashed the sweet potatoes for the kuri kinton. They worked together in companionable silence, although Inuyasha could still smell the nervousness coming off her in waves.

He was just deciding whether or not to insist that she tell him what in the hells was wrong when she took a deep breath. He paused, waiting for her to speak.

Her voice was soft, and low, and if he hadn’t been a hanyou he never would have heard her.

“Inuyasha.” He couldn’t read the tone in her voice.

“I’m late.”

He looked up from the sweet potatoes to see her face. It was pale, shining, her eyes both terrified and hopeful.

“Late?” He was confused. “What does that mean? Late for what?”

She half laughed, half sobbed. “I mean, I didn’t get my period, anata.”

“So?” He was still confused. He barely understood how human reproduction worked. Then, the scent that he’d been detecting on her lately hit him full in the face, causing him to stagger back a few steps. Kagome rushed to his side and grasped his hand.

“Inuyasha?” Now it was her turn to be confused. “What’s wrong?”

He leaned over her and began to sniff. She started to tense up, but remembered how Asuka had done the same thing and tried to relax. He lowered his face to her chest, her arms, then knelt down and pressed his face to her belly. She felt his arms go around her hips; she felt him look up and her gaze met his. His eyes were wide in disbelief. How could he have missed _this_?

“It’s a pup.”

His voice was carefully neutral; he didn’t know how she felt about it.

“It’s a pup.”

Her voice was also neutral, not giving away her feelings.

He rose and turned back to the sweet potatoes, unsure of the reaction she would want. So he elected not to say anything at all.

Kagome was _crushed_.

He felt her sadness and anger coming over him in waves. He left the sweet potatoes and went back to her side; her aura was exuding fierce crackles.

“That’s all…” she whispered in a rage, “that’s _all_ you have to say?”

His eyes shot open wide. “What the fuck do you want me to say, ‘Gome?” he hissed. “That I’m happy? That I’m fucking ecstatic that you’re pupped, and by me?” She didn’t say anything. “That you’re pupped before you wanted to be? Before graduation, before you’ve had a chance to live your life? That I did this to you, and you didn’t want it?”

Kagome let out all the air she didn’t realize she was holding in a _whoosh_. His response suddenly made a _lot_ of sense.

She reached out and touched his shoulder; he allowed her to pull him close and nestle herself against his chest. He leaned down to bury his face in her hair and breathe in her soothing scent.

“You think I don’t want this?” she murmured into his chest. He didn’t say anything, but rumbled in response. She pulled back a little so she could look up into his face. He could see that her eyes were soft and she was smiling.

“It’s a little…sooner…than I expected,” she admitted. “The timing isn’t great.”

“No shit,” he said.

“But I've learned not to take anything with you for granted,” she continued. “I've learned to take everything as it comes and to make the best of things. And if it’s our time to have a pup, then it’s our time. We will make it work; we’ve made everything else work so far.”

He was, quite frankly, _shocked_ , absolutely fucking _shocked_ , at her response. He thought for sure she would be cursing him and trying to purify him on sight. But instead, she was at worst neutral, at medium, accepting, and at best…?

“So, are you… _happy_ …about this?” he asked her.

Now her smile grew bigger. “I’ll be honest with you, Inuyasha. I’ve known for a few weeks.”

“Hold up,” he interrupted, “a few weeks?”

“Just wait, dog boy,” she teased him. “Yes, a few weeks. I needed time to get used to this. Asuka helped me figure it out.”

“What? My niece helped you?”

Kagome nodded. “She did. She could tell right away, but we got a pregnancy test to confirm it.”

“So why didn’t you tell me right away?” he asked. “Were you thinking about…” he couldn’t say what he thought she might have considered.

“Not once,” she reassured him. “You’re my mate and my husband. This pup is part of you, and I love you more than anything in the universe. I would never.”

He relaxed and led her to the kitchen table, where he sat her down. He sat across from her, holding her hands and rubbing them gently. “So why didn’t you tell me?”

She took a breath. “Because I didn’t know _how_ to tell you, anata.” She smiled sadly. “I was trying to sort through my own emotions first. I needed to be solid in my own feelings before I told you. I’m sorry that I shut you out for as long as I did. I didn’t know what I felt, and I wasn’t ready to handle your feelings _and_ my own.”

He could smell that sadness and regret were now overtaking her nervousness. His instincts were screaming at him to comfort her and ignore the fact that she’d been lying to him, even if it wasn’t malicious. He knew that was the best way; he’d talk to Asuka about her role in this whole thing later. He opted to follow his gut and pull her out of her chair and into lap, back close to his chest. She ran her hands up his haori and through to his kosode, eventually working her way to his bare chest. He wrapped his arms around her and reached down to nuzzle her cheek, purring into her ear.

“It’s gonna be okay, koi,” he said softly. “It’s our pup; yours, and mine. It’s the best news I could have ever received.”

She nuzzled him back. “Really?”

He grinned against her cheek so she could feel his fangs dipping below his lip. “ _Really_.”

Kagome reached up and pressed her lips to his. He felt her warmth and her softness; his hands circled her waist, which was small and strong now, but which he knew would soon become round with his pup. Suddenly he felt a rush of desire.

“We’re the only ones here, right, mate?” he growled against her lips.

She moaned but kept herself together. “We can’t, anata,” she whispered back. “We have to finish prepping the meal.”

He ran his hands up over her body, reaching into her kimono and kosode and feeling her breasts through her lacy bra. "It’ll only take ten minutes.”

She laughed; she couldn’t help it. “That’s a lie and you know it, mate.”

He nipped at her ear and moved his lips down her neck to her mark, which he began to suck with fervor. She felt the warm dampness pool between her legs and clenched her thighs together. “We _can’t_. With all these people here? You’re crazy.”

“Keh,” he replied and moved her garments so that he could work on her shoulder, nipping and sucking and leaving marks. She was _so_ easily molded in his hands, like warm clay.

She reached up and kissed his ears with a flick of her tongue, then took the tip of the left ear and sucked it gently, then did the same to the right. He wanted to howl wholly and deeply but kept it light. He chuckled. “You don’t seem to want me to stop, koi,” he said huskily.

“Then _don’t_.”

Inuyasha picked her up and flung her over his shoulder, kneading her ass through her hakama as he moved. He took her up to her old room, where there was no longer a bed, but there was a floor. There, he gently removed her kimono and laid it on the floor, then laid her on top of it. Hands shaking with a passion neither of them had known they possessed, they hurriedly and clumsily removed each other’s clothing. When he saw her beautiful, naked body, fully on display for him and only him, he almost released right there. She saw his need and met it with her own, reaching up and drawing him to her. She licked his lips playfully, running her tongue over his fangs, allowing them to poke into the soft flesh. She groaned at the pleasure and he shivered at the spike in her arousal. It was musky and heady and was driving him _insane_.

Inuyasha ran his hands through her hair, bringing her closer than before. He wanted her so badly that just touching her skin wasn’t enough.

Kagome was laughing at his roving hands. “Why can’t I just get close enough to you?” she murmured. She stopped laughing and looked him full in the face. “I need _all of you_.” And she kissed him, her tongue pushing its way into his mouth, ravaging it as she harshly explored its interior.

That was all he needed to hear. In one swift movement he flipped her over and entered her frantically, reaching around her middle to hold her hips in place with one hand, the other hand pressing into the floor. Her hips bucked backwards into his, just as desperate to meet her own need. He slammed into her, hard; she returned his thrusts. This was the most animalistic sex they’d ever had, and that included the few times Inuyasha had allowed his youki to take over. Something about pupping her had driven him to the brink of rationality, and he could not feel sane again until they both climaxed.

It was over perhaps more quickly than any other time they had made love; their desire for each other had culminated in an intense and frantic fucking. They had just barely started when Kagome felt herself coming undone all around her mate; her walls clenched and pulled him up and into the most delicious orgasm she’d ever felt. She hissed his name and a string of curses that caused Inuyasha to completely lose his mind. Remembering to keep things quiet, he clamped down on her mark and sucked, hard, causing her to climax a second time and hold him tight within her as he finished as well.

They lay on the kimono for several minutes, enjoying the feel of each other, coming down from their high. Downstairs Inuyasha could hear the voices of their family; he knew from their tones that his nieces and Sesshomaru knew exactly what they were doing upstairs.

“Don’t act weird,” he whispered, “but my family knows what we’re doing.”

She snorted and burst into a fit of giggles. “They’re gonna know what we do soon enough, anata,” she replied.

“Do you want your kyudo coach to know what you do?” he teased her.

She sat straight up. “Oh no!” she whispered, blushing furiously. “I forgot!”

“I can hear her voice. She’s talking with your mother.” Inuyasha couldn’t contain his mirth. His golden eyes burned and his fangs dripped with humor. “Pull yourself together, okay?”

Kagome groaned and brought her head into her hands. “I was planning to tell everyone tonight. How can I do it with Suzuki-sensei here?”

“She’s gonna have to find out sooner or later, mate,” he replied good-naturedly. He helped her to her feet, and pulled her kimono off the floor. They slowly dressed each other, enjoying the final feels of the other’s nakedness under their fingertips. When they were fully dressed, Kagome sighed.

“What’s the matter, mate?” Inuaysha asked her.

“I just want you naked. At home. With me.” She smiled.

He tucked her chin in his hand and tilted her head up. He lightly touched her lips with his own. “Later, koishii,” he said softly. “We’ll take our time, and I will make you howl.”

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome came downstairs to a full house; Inuyasha had remembered to put his cloaking bracelet back on, since there was a human guest in the house in Suzuki-sensei. Everyone was pitching in to help finish the osechi ryori that Inuyasha and Kagome were supposed to have prepped; only the datemaki and the kuri kinton remained, but Inuyasha and Kagome had left the kitchen counter in a state of slight disarray in their lustful haste.   
  
Mrs. Higurashi wasn’t exactly happy, but she could see that something had changed between her daughter and her son-in-law. She was trying to figure out what it could be. Something had made them so distracted that they couldn’t finish a simple task—one that Kagome had offered to complete.  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha bashfully helped finish preparing the meal, and then the family all sat down together around the kotatsu in the living room. It was the best space for eating the ojubako. The sake was poured, and the plates and chopsticks were handed out. Kagome looked around the low table. Everyone she loved was in that room, at that moment.  
  
She saw her brother jostling with Asuka to get the biggest tazukuri. She saw her mother explaining all the different dishes to Suzuki-sensei, who was looking at the ojubako with interest. She saw Rin loading up a plate for Sesshomaru, and Sayua doing the same for Hideaki. Jii-chan was scowling in the corner, but his eyes were soft and he looked content. Kagome took Inuyasha’s hand and squeezed it; now was the right time.  
  
“If we could have everyone’s attention, please,” Kagome said. Their families grew silent and looked at the young mates. Inuyasha nuzzled her cheek affectionately. Kagome looked around the room, specifically at Inuyasha’s nieces, both of whom grinned and gave her a thumb’s up. Sesshomaru ignored her and continued to pick at his plate, as though he were disgusted by the selection of food.  
  
“The New Year symbolizes new beginnings and the hopes of good luck and good fortune,” Kagome said. She looked affectionately at her mate; he nodded at her to go ahead. She looked back at their family and friends. “The ultimate symbol of luck, I think, is a new life,” she added. “And in about seven or so months, that’s what we’re going to have here, in our family.”  
  
They looked around the table; no one spoke. It was as though they were all frozen in time. Souta had literally stopped with a tazukuri halfway to his mouth, the sardine threatening to fall from his chopsticks.  
  
Luckily, Asuka spoke up first.  
  
“This is amazing!” she exclaimed, as though she’d had no idea, as if she hadn’t been the first one to figure it out. She stood up, walked around the kotatsu, pulled Kagome to her feet, and engulfed her in a huge hug.  
  
“You did good, Auntie,” she murmured. “Really well done.”  
  
Sayua rose too and went to Kagome and gave her a big hug. Rin followed. “A new baby!” she said wistfully. “That _will_ bring luck to both our houses!”  
  
The Higurashis did not rise; they were more cautious than Inuyasha’s family. Finally, Souta spoke.  
  
“Is it going to be a boy?” he asked hopefully. “Because, I don’t think I’d know what to do with a girl.”  
  
Kagome laughed. “We won’t know that for a while yet, if at all. But I think you’ll figure it out.”  
  
Suzuki-sensei also rose and went to Kagome, giving her a brief hug. “I guess we’ll have to cancel your plans for nationals, Higurashi-kun,” she said, a little sadly.  
  
Kagome shook her head. “That’s six weeks away. I don’t see why I won’t be able to shoot an arrow then. We’ll see what the midwife says, because I don’t want to lose my chance at a scholarship, and I want to kick every kyudoka’s ass in Japan!”  
  
Suzuki-sensei smiled. There was the Higurashi she knew so well.  
  
As expected, only Mrs. Higurashi and Jii-chan seemed put off by the idea of a pup. Jii-chan grumbled something about “another damn hanyou” but managed to give his granddaughter a kiss on the cheek. Mrs. Higurashi merely smiled and went on serving the food.  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged a look. When Mrs. Higurashi didn’t respond, that was the _worst_ reaction you could get. Once the chatter around the kotatsu resumed, Kagome leaned into Inuyasha. “I will talk to her later,” she whispered.  
  
Inuyasha slipped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “It’ll be fine, mate,” he said. “She’s your mother. She’s not going to kill you.”  
  
“She’s _not saying anything_ ,” Kagome observed. “She might as well kill me.”  
  


* * *

  
After everyone had gone home, Kagome was left alone with her mother. Inuyasha helped Souta get ready for bed, and Jii-chan had already retired to his room. Kagome and her mother stood silently, side by side, washing the dishes from the evening. Mrs. Higurashi washed, and Kagome dried and put the dishes in the rack. They did this over and over, the routine both comforting and nerve-wracking. Kagome tentatively reached out with her aura; she felt Inuyasha’s youki rub up against her aura affectionately from upstairs, giving her the courage she needed. Her mother’s aura, though, was piercing. Kagome had never felt this from her mother before, and it scared her.  
  
Finally, they finished the dishes. Mrs. Higurashi turned to her daughter and smiled sadly. “Tea?”  
  
Kagome nodded, and Mrs. Higurashi got out two tea cups and poured hot water from the electric tea kettle into the cups. She settled down into a kitchen chair, her gaze never leaving Kagome’s face. Kagome gulped nervously and looked down at her cup. Inuyasha’s youki reached down again from upstairs, gently caressing her. She smiled softly. He was giving her strength; she could reach out for him when she needed, and he’d be there in a second. But now, he totally understood she and her mother needed this space to hash things out.  
  
Mother and daughter sat silently at the kitchen table, drinking their tea, thinking their own thoughts. Kagome was visibly nervous; she was sure Inuyasha could sense her terror rolling off her in waves. It was freaking her out that her mother had yet to say _anything_. Normally her mother was so understanding. Had Kagome finally pushed her mother to the limit?  
  
“Mama?” Kagome finally said hesitantly. Mrs. Higurashi put her teacup down and reached across the table to grasp both Kagome’s hands in her own, just as Inuyasha had done earlier that evening. Mrs. Higurashi’s face was sad. Kagome saw the lines worrying her mother’s face, the gray at her temples. When had her mother started to age? Was it her fault?  
  
Mrs. Higurashi rubbed her daughter’s hands gently. “I’m worried about you, my dear,” she said at last. “Since you and Inuyasha-kun have been here, things have moved so quickly. You’re married, you’re mated, you’ve moved out, you’re pregnant.” She sighed. “You haven’t even graduated high school. Don’t you think things are moving too fast?”  
  
Kagome pulled her hands out from under her mother’s and crossed her arms under her chest. She knew it was juvenile, but she didn’t care. “Mama,” she replied. “You’re right. We _are_ moving fast. I didn’t want to be pupped now. I wanted to wait.” She rubbed her eyes, refusing to let her mother see any tears. She had to stay resolute. “But this is where we are, and this is what’s happening.” She looked at her mother, hard and full in the face. Mrs. Higurashi cringed under her daughter’s serious gaze. “One thing I’ve learned after spending two years in Sengoku Jidai is that you have to grasp any happiness you have, and hold onto it, as tight as you can. Even if it comes with some sorrow, or isn’t the happiness you quite expected, you have to hold onto it.” Kagome’s face melted into a smile and her hands slipped down to feel her belly. “I know you understand what it means to love, Mama. This pup will be _loved_. Its father and I love each other. We love and are loved by our families. I promise you, this pup will be surrounded by love.”  
  
Mrs. Higurashi frowned. “I don’t doubt that at all, Kagome. But you have to think about yourself. I don’t think you do that enough. Are you going to be able to graduate? Are you going to take your college exams? And what about college?”  
  
Kagome sighed. She needed Inuyasha here, _now_. She reached out with her aura and felt it brush up against his youki. She immediately heard him leave Souta’s room and pound quickly down the stairs. Her face lit up when she saw him enter the kitchen; Mrs. Higurashi saw her daughter’s face, and ran a hand through her hair. Kagome was calling in the reinforcements; she wasn’t going to be able to fight them both.  
  
Inuyasha sat beside his mate and picked up her hand. “What’s up, wife?” he asked.  
  
“My mother would like to know how my future will be affected by the pup,” Kagome said to him.  
  
“Kagome will want for nothing,” Inuyasha said immediately. “I’ll personally make sure that she competes in nationals, if the midwife gives the okay. I’ll make sure she takes her college exams, and that she graduates. She should be able to get through the first semester of college, too.”  
  
“And after the baby is born?” Mrs. Higurashi pressed. “What then?”  
  
“We’ll make it work,” he said fiercely, moving his arm around Kagome and pulling her close. “Rin will help. She’s already offered. We’ll work out our schedules so that we don’t have to put the pup in..." He looked at Kagome. "What did you call it?"

"Daycare," Kagome helpfully supplied.

"Daycare," Inuyasha finished. "We will figure it out.”  
  
“You don’t understand,” Mrs. Higurashi said now, raising her voice slightly. “Raising a child is _hard_. It’s the hardest thing you will ever do. You will be exhausted; you will cry; you will be angry and fight with each other. This is going to test your marriage like maybe nothing else.”  
  
“Like almost dying on each other multiple times?” said her daughter coldly. “Like Naraku? Like _Kikyo_?”  
  
Mrs. Higurashi gasped and Inuyasha stiffened at her side, dropping his arm.  
  
“We’ve been through _everything_ , Mama,” Kagome continued, her voice still cold. “Everything, and we’re both still here. We’re stronger now than we were before. We’ve acknowledged our love for each other; it’s pulled us closer together. We are a solid, steel wall, and we can take anything that comes our way.” She laughed a little. “And to be honest, if the worst thing that happens is serious sleep deprivation and a pup who won’t stop crying, I’ll still be thrilled that this pup is here, and that they’re ours, and that we're all alive to complain about not sleeping enough.”  
  
Her mother went to reply, but Kagome interrupted her again. “You don’t know what it was like for Inuyasha back then,” she went on. “He was ridiculed and bullied and treated so badly, all because of his heritage. He _never_ thought he would have this. He _never_ thought he would find love. He _never_ thought he’d get the chance to be a father. I have been able to give him all of this—and he’s given it back to me. He’s given me reason and purpose and meaning. He’s given me love and life and joy. He’s my everything. And yes, I’m young, but I am not foolish, Mama. I know what I want, and I’ve literally gone to hell and back to get it. I’m not going to let what we have go.” She paused to take a breath. “Inu youkai mate for life, Mama.”  
  
Inuyasha was so fucking proud of her in that moment he wanted to take her back to the cottage and show her over and over again how she made him feel like the luckiest man in the world. Instead he slipped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed her close, putting as much love and need into that squeeze as he could. Kagome knew exactly what he was feeling, and she turned slightly to look at him out of the corner of her eye. She could feel the pride radiating off him, and resisted the urge to jump him right there in the kitchen and cover him with kisses.  
  
Mrs. Higurashi, meanwhile, sat before the two of them, dumbfounded. She had always known that Kagome loved Inuyasha, but to see her stand up for him like this, to see her be so protective of him—to see them be so protective of each other. Was this the impact of being pregnant with an inu youkai? Was this a side effect of the mating? Was this how they had always been, and she had just never seen it? Mrs. Higurashi sat back and sighed. She kneaded the spot on her forehead that Kagome would have called the Third Eye.  
  
“There’s clearly no stopping the two of you, is there?” she said with a faltering smile.  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome now looked at each other and grinned. Kagome shook her head slightly.  
  
“I am glad that you have plans for this child that don’t include me,” she said slowly. When Kagome made to respond, Mrs. Higurashi now was the one who continued. “I love you both, but I’m not here to pick up the pieces of whatever mess you’ve made. So I am glad that you have thought about the sacrifices you will need to make in order to be young parents. That said…” she paused, and now her smile was genuine, “I am willing to help out, too. Rin can’t have all the pup time!”  
  
Kagome rose and went to her mother. Mrs. Higurashi stood and the two women embraced. She reached out to bring Inuyasha into their hug, which he did gladly. Mrs. Higurashi sighed again.  
  
These two would be the death of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh baby! (Or should I say, oh pup!) How will Inuyasha and Kagome cope with everything being thrown at them? And, what happens when we take a pregnant Kagome, a nervous and grouchy Inuyasha, and college exams, and add in a heavy dash of angst? Because they can't have peace forever...
> 
> Thanks again to everyone who has been following this story the past few months. Your support has meant so much to me. The next chapters will be taking a twist away from the canon, but I hope you'll continue to stay with us. Thank you again! <3
> 
> And now some notes on New Years:
> 
> The term "hatsumode" translates to "first shrine visit," so it is the first shrine visit of the year. This traditionally happens sometime between Jan 1 and Jan 3. 
> 
> To prepare for the New Year, Souta has made a shimekazari, which is a decorative hanging made of shimenawa (dried rice straw rope), oranges, and pine. They are typically hung above a door with the intention of warding off evil spirits for the new year. 
> 
> On NYE, the family gathers to watch Kohaku Uta Gassen, which is an annual song battle that NHK airs every year on NYE. It features the most successful artists in Japan, who compete in a battle that the judges and audience then vote on. The teams are made of all female artists (Red Team) and all male artists (White Team). Although Kohaku Uta Gassen isn't as popular as it once was, it is still the highest rated musical show in Japan. 
> 
> Omamori, omikuji, and ema are all items the Higurashis might sell at their shrine year-round, but especially for hatsumode. Omamori are talismans that you might put on your phone, your bag, in your car, on your home wall, etc., to provide luck and protection. Omikuji are strips of paper that bear fortunes (ranging from "a great blessing" to "a great curse"). If someone gets a bad fortune, they should not keep it, and should instead tie it to a tree or a pole and leave it at the temple. Finally, ema are small wooden plaques found at temples. People would write their prayers or wishes, and then leave them at the temple for the kami to receive them.
> 
> Finally, Kagome and her family eat a traditional osechi ryori for New Years Day. Osechi ryori is served in special bento-like boxes known as ojubako, which have several layers. One box would typically be enough to feed a family, but since there are two families at Kagome and Inuyasha's New Years Day dinner, Mrs. Higurashi decides to make two. Contents might include candied sardines (like what Souta is eating when Kagome and Inuyasha announce they're expecting), candied chestnut and sweet potatoes (which is what Inuyasha is preparing when Kagome tells him she's pregnant), homemade mochi, and more.


	37. Kagome's Vision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome has a vision of the past, and it has a drastic effect on both her and Inuyasha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime and/or manga. Everyone else belongs to me :)
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and well, or resting and getting the treatment you need. I hope that all the stories you're reading if you've found us here are providing you with some respite (I know they do for me).
> 
> So....things are about to get a little angsty and a little off-canon, just as a warning. But I hope you'll continue to stick with us! I have so enjoyed reading the comments you've posted; if you think of it, please continue to do so.

She was following a path with high grasses on either side that blew gently in the breeze all around her. The air had a slight chill to it, as though summer were ending soon. She looked down; she could see her white kimono and red hakama, and she wore tabi and geta. Her bow and quiver were slung over her back; her long hair was pulled away from her face.

She was wearing the clothes she’d worn all day at the shrine, but this was not the shrine. This was not her home.

Confused, she sent out a pulse of her aura, feeling around her. She could not sense Inuyasha, but she sensed youki ahead of her, down the path. Cautiously, she followed it, drawing her bow forward and nocking an arrow.

When the grasses parted, the path opened up to a small beach alongside a river. The youki came from a man standing at the riverside. His long dark hair tumbled down his back; he wore a deep violet kimono and black hakama. Although she knew that she should be afraid, she was more curious than anything else. Plus, one shot from her arrow would purify the man on sight, so just let him _try_ anything.

Then, the man turned around, and Kagome almost dropped her bow and arrow.

It was _Naraku_.

Not Naraku as she had known him, dark and twisted by his lust for the Jewel. This Naraku was exceptionally handsome, with deep red-violet eyes that gazed upon her kindly. That kindness was shooting off all kinds of warning signals in her head, but she suddenly realized she was not in control of her own actions.

Her body continued to move towards the riverbank, despite her inner cries for it to turn back. Her hands went slack on the bow and arrow, and returned them to their spots on her back. He smiled as though she were the most magnificent thing he’d ever seen, and she wanted to throw up.

_Why wouldn’t her body stop moving??_

He held his arms out to her. Every one of her instincts was screaming at her to run, to find Inuyasha, to get the fuck out of there as fast as she could, but yet she continued to move towards him. When she reached him, she fell into his arms. He held her tenderly; Kagome wanted to purify him on the spot, but her arms encircled his waist, and she felt herself sigh into his chest.

Then, Naraku spoke.

“Kikyo. My Kikyo.”

And then a voice that was not her own replied.

“Onigumo. I’m glad to see you are fully healed.”

 _No, Kikyo, NO!_ Kagome was screaming over and over. But Kikyo didn’t hear her; it was as though Kagome wasn’t even there.

“It’s thanks to you, my darling.”

_What the actual fuck was happening?_

Kagome felt her face twist into a smile. “I couldn’t give up on you, Onigumo. You may only be human, but you showed the remarkable healing abilities of a demon.”

Naraku laughed. “Your treatments greatly accelerated my recovery, dear.” He released her and cupped her face in his hand. He then bent forward slowly and kissed her, gently, sweetly, but long, and hard. His lips were soft and inviting. Kagome’s insides were writhing in agony, but Kikyo seemed to be delighting in his affections.

 _WAIT_.

Kikyo had said that he was “human.” Did she not know? Could she not tell?

Kagome’s mind was reeling. He must be hiding his youki from her; Kagome’s skills were such that it was much more difficult for a youkai to hide itself from her. Kikyo might not be as developed, skill-wise, as her. This made Kagome smirk to herself, despite the situation. She couldn’t help it.

The kiss was deepening. Kagome wanted to reach inside, to where Kikyo was, and slap her senseless until she realized what she was doing. But she was just a bystander in this vision; there wasn’t much she could do. Naraku threaded his hand through Kikyo’s and together, they began to walk down the riverbank.

“I know a place where we can sit and…talk,” Naraku said quietly. “We can just talk if you want.”

Kikyo breathed out. “I’d like that, yes.”

But Kagome knew that “talking” wasn’t what Naraku had in mind. He never did. He was all lies and trickery, and Kikyo was falling for it _again_.

“Kikyo!” she silently screamed. “Kikyo! Kikyo! _KIKYO!_ ”

Nothing. Kikyo didn’t know she was there. Kikyo was about to make the biggest mistake of her life, and Kagome could do nothing to stop it.

* * *

“Mate! Mate! KAGOME!”

Kagome came to as someone was anxiously shaking her shoulder and kissing her cheeks, trying to wake her up.

She opened her eyes and looked around wildly. She saw a pair of golden eyes looking down on her in concern.

“Kagome?” His voice was soft and hesitant.

She sat up and felt her body. T-shirt, no bra, no underwear. She felt beneath her. Soft bed, twisted blankets. She leaned forward and felt Inuyasha’s face. It was tanned and lined with concern for her. She reached up and felt his ears. They were there; they were twitching, trying to catch any kind of sound that might have caused her this pain. His hands reached out slowly and touched her arms. She was shaking madly.

“Can you…hold me?” she asked. But she needn’t have. He instinctively pulled her flush to his chest and stroked her hair. They sat like this for several moments as she brought her breath under control. He was really fucking concerned for her well-being—and the pup’s!—but he had to be patient and wait for her to tell him what happened.

Finally. Finally, she started to talk.

“It was…a dream,” she said hesitatingly. “I…I was Kikyo.” She heard Inuyasha’s breath hitch, but to his credit, he said nothing and continued to stroke her hair. She paused and looked up at her mate.

“What do you know about the nature of her relationship with Onigumo?”

Now Inuyasha couldn’t hide his surprise. “I know what you know,” he said. “She cared for him while he was dying. He was obsessed with her. He made a deal with demons and absorbed them into his body. He became Naraku. He tricked us into betraying each other. You know the rest.”

Kagome was really struggling to tell him everything that happened. “Inuyasha…this dream… it felt _very_ real.” She snuggled deeper into his chest. “You have to understand that before I tell you anything else. It felt like it was real, and I had no control over what was happening.”

“What in the hells does that have to do with anything?” he asked, confused as to what she was trying to tell him.

“I dreamed that I was Kikyo and that I was going to meet the man Onigumo for a secret rendezvous,” she said in a rush. “And he held me and he kissed me, and I was screaming the whole time inside for him to let me go, and he wouldn’t.” He hissed and pulled her so close, she could be inside his skin. “But someone did enjoy his affections.” She sighed as he sucked in his breath, barely daring to hear his mate’s words.

“Kikyo,” she said simply. “Kikyo enjoyed his kiss, and went away with him willingly. He said it was to talk, but I know he had other plans. I know what he was planning to do, and I don't think she could have been ignorant of his intentions.”

At this Inuyasha could take no more. He dumped his pregnant mate unceremoniously on the bed and stood up, angrily pacing around the room. Kagome curled up on the bed, openly weeping.

“FUCK!” he bellowed, punching a hole in the wall.

“FUCK!” He punched another hole.

“FUCK!” He fell to his knees and felt the tears pour forth from his eyes, out of his control.

They both stayed like that for a while, sobbing, not touching, not daring to feel the other in this awful, awful moment. Inuyasha allowed himself to wallow in the image Kagome had described, his very soul shattered. Kagome wept uncontrollably, knowing she may have just broken her husband.

Finally, Kagome spoke first. “Inuyasha?”

He grunted and rose, wiping the tears from his eyes. He turned to face his wife. His face was unlike anything she had ever seen before. The despair in his eyes was deep and dark; the puffiness of his face struck more horror in her heart than what she dreamed.

“How could you?” he muttered.

“I’m…sorry?” she said.

“Do you think this is funny, _mate_?” he asked, mocking her openly. “Do you think you can stomp all over my heart like this, tear me apart like this? You know I love you, but _fuck_ , 'Gome, do you have to take what I felt for Kikyo and twist it, rub it in my face, like this?” She opened her mouth to reply, but he spoke over her. “No,” he said harshly. “Don’t.” He made to leave, but Kagome’s voice made him stop.

“Wait, Inuyasha,” she called out in a hoarse, broken voice. “ _Please_.”

Her plaintive cry caused him to turn around and see her, really see her. She was curled up on the bed, her body broken and racked with sobs. Her face was tear-stained and, like his, puffy and red. Her hands covered her belly, protecting the pup.

 _Fuck_. The pup.

Inuyasha crossed the room sat beside her on the bed. He pulled her up into his arms and held her close. “I’m sorry, koishii, please,” he said desperately, stroking her hair, feeling even more broken now than he did when Kagome told him about her dream. “I acted in bad fucking form. I’m sorry.”

Kagome took deep breaths, trying to stop the tears that just kept coming. “It’s okay,” she managed to gasp out. “I wouldn’t have told you, but it’s too much for me to keep inside.”

Inuyasha searched inside to find the right words to soothe his now hysterical mate. “Do… do you think it was real?” he finally managed to ask.

Her tears continued to fall. “It felt real to me, Inuyasha. I don’t know if it was a vision from the past, or the most vivid dream I’ve ever had, but it felt so, so real.”

He rocked her slowly in his arms, unable to grasp the situation, unable to soothe her, unable to soothe himself. All he could do was hold her, whisper reassurances in her ear, rub her tummy affectionately, and remind her that she was his love: his only, his truest, his most divine, love.

When she had at last fallen back asleep and her breathing was regular, Inuyasha gently laid her back down on their bed. He stood up and examined the walls of their bedroom. He was going to have to get some plaster and putty to repair the holes. But even if he managed to repair them, the holes would still be there, underneath, ready to break open again with one well-timed shot against them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How will Kagome and Inuyasha handle this new wrench in their relationship? Will Kagome's visions continue? Find out at the next update, and as always, thanks for reading!


	38. Obligations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome reaches out to someone surprising. Inuyasha and Kagome start their college entrance exams, and then have a poignant discussion about their impending parenthood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime and/or manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that this update finds you well and safe.
> 
> As always, thanks so much for reading. I appreciate your continued support <3

Kagome knew that she shouldn’t be doing this. She knew that she shouldn’t be standing at the door to the study, alone, about to knock on the door of her brother-in-law to tell him some very dark, disturbing news, news that Inuyasha would rather they keep to themselves, and yet, she couldn’t help herself. He was the only person she trusted to objectively listen to her and help her.

She told Inuyasha she was going to take a break from training and needed to rest. That wasn’t necessarily a lie—now that she was nearing the end of her first trimester she was getting exhausted from her trainings more quickly—but she certainly wasn’t telling him the whole truth. Because if he knew, he’d hit the fucking roof.

What she also hadn’t told him was that the dream she’d had, about Kikyo and Naraku? It was not only recurring, almost nightly, but it was getting more detailed and more vivid. When she dreamed about them becoming intimate at an inn, she woke up dry heaving and panicked. She’d told Inuyasha it was morning sickness, and he’d _maybe_ bought it. She was exhausted, and constantly stressed out. College exams were a few days away, and then her final kyudo tournament was the following weekend. She was hoping against hope that these were stress dreams, and that once exams and the tournament were over, the dreams would go away and she would be able to have a restful night’s sleep again.

When she knocked on the study door and heard a curt, “Enter,” Kagome opened the door and stepped hesitatingly into the room. She knew Sesshomaru’s study well by now, but she was still in awe of how massive everything seemed inside: the massive mahogany fireplace, the massive leather couch (where she’d once healed Inuyasha), the massive conference table, and the massive mahogany desk, behind which Sesshomaru now sat, reading through some paperwork and looking, as usual, inextricably bored. He looked up when she entered; Kagome saw a hint of surprise on his face.

“What can this Sesshomaru do for you, miko?” he asked abruptly, but not necessarily in an unfriendly way. He was surprised to see her come visit him alone. He hated to admit it, but he _was_ intrigued; the surprise she’d detected on his face was real.

“May I?” Kagome indicated towards the chair in front of the desk. Sesshomaru nodded, and she sat down.

“I have something to discuss with you, Elder Brother,” she said politely. Sesshomaru snorted; he couldn’t help it. The thought of her calling him “Elder Brother” was both bothersome and endearing; especially bothersome because he couldn’t tell which emotion he felt more.

Sesshomaru laid his paperwork aside and leaned forward, his right elbow relaxing on the desk, his right hand cupping his chin. “Go ahead,” he replied.

Kagome looked down and fiddled nervously with her sweater. _How to say this…?_

“Miko,” said Sesshomaru suddenly. Kagome looked up; his face softened for her for perhaps the first time ever. “You are family. You have come to see this Sesshomaru without your mate. Whatever it is you wish to discuss, it must be important, and it must be something you don’t want your mate to know about.” Kagome gave an almost imperceptible nod. “In that case,” Sesshomaru added, “this Sesshomaru will exert the greatest discretion. You have nothing to fear.”

Kagome let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Sesshomaru,” she said, reverting back to her more familiar name for him. She still fiddled with the hem of her sweater, but Sesshomaru could scent that she was much more relaxed than she had been. “I need to tell you about my dreams,” she said at last.

“Dreams?”

“Yes,” she replied. “My dreams about Kikyo…and Naraku.”

Slowly but surely, she began to tell him everything: how the first dream occurred the night she told Inuyasha and the family about the pup; how the dreams had continued to recur; and how the dreams were now becoming more vivid and more detailed. When she confided that she’d dreamed that Kikyo and Naraku were intimate, it was difficult for Sesshomaru to hold back a snarl. Kagome sensed his youki starting to grow enranged, and grew silent.

“Do not stop, miko, please,” Sesshomaru said reassuringly. “This Sesshomaru is not angry with you. Why do you think you are having these visions?”

“I am not sure if they are real or not,” Kagome admitted. “I’ve never had them before. Are they stress dreams? A lot has been going on. Are they visions? Did this really happen? I don’t know.”

“And that is where you would like some help,” Sesshomaru finished for her.

“Yes,” she said, slumping back against the chair, relieved that _someone_ was actually, really, listening to her.

“How can this Sesshomaru help you, little miko?” he asked.

“I want to know if my dreams are real,” she said immediately. “I want to know if this was a real…thing…between Kikyo and Naraku, or if it’s just the stress and the pregnancy hormones doing a number on me.”

“This is a challenging request, miko,” Sesshomaru replied. “How do you propose that we investigate?”

Kagome paused; she hadn’t been expecting _that_ question. She thought for a few minutes. “There must be lots of youkai around who were alive then,” she said carefully. “Maybe see if anyone saw anything or heard anything? Maybe some who had ties to Naraku? He may have talked to someone about this?”

Sesshomaru couldn’t help but almost chuckle at Kagome’s endearing, but ignorant, questions. “This Sesshomaru highly doubts that we will find anyone like that, little miko. But,” he added, seeing her crestfallen expression, “perhaps this Sesshomaru’s spies can go to work on this for you.”

Kagome let out a whoosh of air she hadn’t thought she was holding. She leapt to her feet, fighting the desire to rush around the table and hug her brother-in-law. She had to remember who he was. “Thank you, Elder Brother,” she said instead, bowing deeply.

Sesshomaru nodded in return. “You are most welcome, little miko.” He paused. “You have grown quite a bit in your power since your return here, you know,” he commented. “Your mate should be proud of you. This Sesshomaru certainly is.”

Kagome blushed right up to the roots of her hair. She bowed again. “Thank you, Elder Brother,” she replied. “I will do my best to continue to make you proud.”

Sesshomaru nodded and waved his hand at her. “We will speak again soon, miko,” he said. She turned to go, and then hesitated for a moment. “Is there something else?” Sesshomaru asked her.

“Yes, Elder Brother,” she said, turning back around. “Have your men found out anything about Shippou? Inuyasha won’t tell me anything.”

“That is because there is nothing to tell,” he replied. “This Sesshomaru’s men have looked for the kitsune, but have not found him. You know quite well, miko, that if a kitsune doesn’t want to be found, he will not be found. That said, there is no record of his death; merely of his disappearance. Take heart in that.”

“Will you continue to search for him?” she asked.

He wanted to say no, but he could scent her sadness and nervousness and stress. Her aura crackled a faded pink. “If we get a lead that is solid, we will follow it,” he agreed.

Kagome smiled thinly. She knew he was trying to placate her. Quite frankly, she appreciated it. She had enough to worry about without the guilt she felt about the kitsune’s disappearance.

“You should get back to your training, Miko,” Sesshomaru said gently. “Your mate will be looking for you.”

Kagome bowed again. “Yes, Elder Brother,” she replied. “Thank you…for everything.” Kagome smiled slightly and left the study, Sesshomaru’s gaze following after her thoughtfully.

Leaning his head in his hands, Sesshomaru sighed. The miko’s dreams were obviously disturbing for her and for his brother, and even he had to admit that they were surprising and unexpected. He knew that the miko didn’t necessarily have the power of sight, but perhaps something about her pregnancy had awakened these memories of her past life that had been previously buried.

That thought made him pause. Was it possible?...

Sesshomaru picked up the phone and dialed a number he never thought he’d have to use. “Yes,” he said. “It is time for us to meet. You may have information that is of use. When is a time that is convenient for you?”

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome stood in front of the test site, tickets in hand.

“Two days of testing,” sighed Kagome, adjusting her backpack on her shoulders.

Inuyasha grunted. “I wish you’d let me carry that for you, mate,” he said.

“I’m _pregnant_ , Inuyasha,” Kagome growled, “not helpless.”

The look on his face made her regret her flash of anger. She reached out and grasped his hand. “It’s gonna be okay,” she said gently. “You’ll do great.”

He sent a smile her way; she could sense his fangs even under his disguise. “You too, wench.”

Together they made their way to the entrance, handing their tickets to the proctor. “Higurashi Kagome,” he said, “You will be in Room 135. Fujimura Inuyasha,” he added, looking surprised at Inuyasha’s name, “You will be in Room 140. The tests will begin in 15 minutes. Please find your seats quickly.” The proctor paused. “Good luck,” he added.

“Thank you, sir,” they replied, hustling inside the doors to the center. Quickly they moved down the halls, searching for Kagome’s room first. When they reached it, Kagome reached out and pulled Inuyasha into a deep kiss. He blushed at her very public display of affection.

“Good luck, anata,” she whispered.

“Good luck, mate,” he replied, winking at her as he pulled away and headed off to his room. “I’ll see ya at lunch.”

Kagome smiled and went into the room. Inside there were rows and rows of students, preparing and psyching themselves up for the tests. The tests were to take place over two days; today was Kagome’s very long and challenging day. She had decided to study history in college, focusing on Sengoku Jidai. Her original plan was to go to medical school, but her grades in math and science weren’t good enough. But studying history would allow her to focus on something she was passionate about—youkai and miko history—with the hopes of one day becoming a teacher or an archivist, things that she could easily imagine herself doing.

For her planned course of study, Kagome would take four tests on the first day: Japanese History, Geography, Japanese Literature, and English. There would be a reading and a listening portion for her English exam, which she knew she’d do fine in. Inuyasha was also taking four exams as part of his application to university as a business major: Ethics, Politics and Economics, Japanese Literature, and English. He’d wanted to apply to a major that focused on something more exciting, but Sesshomaru insisted on him being a business major, so he begrudgingly agreed.

Kagome’s nerves were threatening to get the better of her, so she closed her eyes and concentrated on her third eye. Taking deep breaths, she thought of Inuyasha: his golden eyes, dripping with desire for her; his fangs, skimming across her skin; his claws, gently teasing her skin. She ended up flushed with desire, but at least she wasn’t worrying about the test anymore. When the proctor handed out the first test and began to read through the directions, Kagome smiled. She was ready to tackle whatever these tests threw at her.

* * *

A few doors down, Inuyasha was really fucking nervous. The knowledge wasn’t going to be an issue; he’d mastered the material months before. The monk had been working with him on test-taking skills, and that’s where his nerves lay. He worried about taking too long, about making the wrong choices, about rushing…basically, about everything. Sesshomaru was expecting him to not only to do well, but to be exceptional enough to get into Tokyo University. Inuyasha knew his brother expected nothing less. He would be the first person to admit this kind of pressure was not something he did well with. He’d much rather be facing down a thousand youkai single-handed than take one exam. Inuyasha gripped his pencil so tightly that it broke in his grasp. A few people turned to look at him; he ducked under the table to get another one out of his bag, grimacing.  
  
Inuyasha decided to meditate. He and Kagome had been working on it for a few weeks. He was used to her presence being a soothing force in helping him focus, so if he just thought of her, maybe that would help. He closed his eyes, remembering what Kagome and Hideaki had taught him about using his third eye. He drew his attentions there and took a deep breath, thinking of Kagome: her full, lustrous hair, her bright brown eyes, glowing cheeks, and soft, supple lips. He unconsciously shifted in his seat. _Calm down, man_ , he told himself. _This is supposed to relax you, not get you excited in a different way_.

Without thinking, he felt himself reaching out for her; he unfurled his youki, letting it spool forth in waves across the room. He could feel the cloaking enchantment chafing against the unleashing of his youki, but he didn’t give a shit. He needed to feel that his wife was somewhere close by.

“My Lord,” hissed a voice nearby. “Dial it down.”

Inuyasha turned, surprised. A young man sitting at the table next to him was eyeing him sternly. His blue eyes narrowed when Inuyasha faced him.

“Every youkai in the building can feel your youki, my Lord,” he murmured, so low only the youkai nearest would be able to hear. “You can’t unleash it in a place like this.”

“Fuck off,” Inuyasha replied. “I’m looking for my wife.”

“I am sure she is fine, my Lord,” rejoined the young man, a thin smile flitting across his face. “Worry about yourself; I am sure the Lord of the West would rather you stay focused on the exams.”

“What the fuck do you know about my brother?” whispered Inuyasha harshly.

The young man laughed lightly. “Do you think that the Lord of the West would allow you and the Lady Miko to go anywhere unprotected?” he asked. “Unfortunately, my partner and I got the short end of the stick today; we’ve got to take university exams with you.”

Inuyasha growled, but not because of the young man. _Fuck it, Sesshomaru_ , he thought angrily, _as if I need protecting!_

The proctor distributed the exams at that moment, distracting Inuyasha from his target. As the proctor began to read the directions in a bored voice, Inuyasha settled down and got his pencil ready. There would be plenty of time to sort this out later.

* * *

Eight hours and four exams later, Inuyasha carried Kagome out of the testing building. They’d be back tomorrow for the final tests; a lighter day for Kagome, a tougher day for Inuyasha. The young man who’d kept Inuyasha from unleashing his youki on the unsuspecting test takers followed them out of the building, accompanied by a young woman in a downy winter coat and hat. Inuyasha reasoned that she must have been the one keeping an eye on Kagome.

“My Lord,” said the young man, bowing slightly, “we will see you tomorrow.”

“Keh,” replied Inuyasha, pulling Kagome closer around his waist and holding her thighs tightly. He wouldn’t be able to carry her like this much longer; once her belly became round with the pup, he’d be carrying her in his arms for as long as she’d let him.

“Who are they, mate?” asked Kagome sleepily. The exams had taken a lot out of her.

The young man bowed. “Yamamoto Kenji,” he said to them both. “And this is my partner, Tendo Aoi.” The young woman bowed as well.

“Sess sent them to keep an eye on us, mate,” he told Kagome.

“How nice,” she murmured sleepily. “I hope you did well on your exams, too.”

Kenji grimaced. “We’ll see, Lady Miko. Until tomorrow, my Lord.” He bowed again briefly and he and Aoi headed in the opposite direction of the shrine.

The sky was growing dark as Inuyasha and Kagome trudged home, each occupied with their own thoughts. Inuyasha couldn’t help but be angry with his brother. His concerns churned through his mind, ranging from his fury that his bastard brother would have them followed, to concern for his mate, to worry about how he did on his exams.

“Don’t worry about the exams, Inuyasha,” Kagome mumbled, leaning forward and kissing his mark, making him sigh. “We can check our answers against the rubric and see how we did when we get home.”

Inuyasha grumbled. “It’ll be fine, mate,” he said. “I’m not worried about our scores… _much_.”

“We have exams tomorrow too, anata,” she reminded him. “Plus, if we make the list, we’ll still need to take the exams for Tokyo University.”

“Don’t remind me, koi,” he replied, his voice gentler than his words allowed. “Let’s just go home and relax. Mama promised me ramen and you oden for finishing day one.”

She nuzzled his neck, her arms clasping around her tightly. He felt her body press against his back; her breasts, beginning to swell with the influx of hormones in her body, felt firm and delicious. He could feel the tiny bit that her belly had started to round, and if he really focused, he could hear the rapid heartbeat of their pup. He loved the idea that in this position, they formed a protective shell around it.

With so much going on, Inuyasha hadn’t had much time to process the whole impending fatherhood thing. Sure, he was excited; who wouldn’t be? But their talk with Mama Higurashi had given him pause on just how good they were going to be at parenting. Well, he was sure his mate would be a kick-ass momma, but him? He’d only had his mother for a short period of time, and he’d never known his father. Fuck it all, he’d never had a father figure in his life. How would he know what to do?

“Anata, what’s on your mind?” Kagome asked him. The nervousness rolling off his youki caused her to become fully awake in her concern.

Inuyasha rumbled and said nothing. “Inu-ya-sha,” she continued, needling him slightly by burying her face in his neck and tonguing his mark. He moaned in response; he couldn’t resist her.

“Do you think—I’ll be a good father, Kagome?” he asked.

He could feel her start in surprise. “What?” she said.

“A good father,” he repeated.

“Why on earth wouldn’t you be?” she replied.

“Because fuck it, mate, I never had a father,” he said. “I’ve never really had any family except for my mother, and I would imagine being a father is different.”

Kagome sighed. “I don’t really remember my father much either, Inuyasha,” she reminded him.

“But you have your mom,” he pointed out. “You have, like, the best fucking role model in the world.”

“Wow, nothing like pressure,” she laughed.

“That’s not what I meant, mate,” he responded. She dug her thighs into his sides and he hitched his breath at the pressure.

“Well, we’ve got no role model and the best one in the world,” she replied. “I would imagine we will fall somewhere in the middle.”

“But will that be good enough for our pup?” he asked, massaging her thighs now as he carried her.

Kagome sighed. “We’ll learn by doing, mate,” she said brusquely. “People have been having babies for tens of thousands of years. We’ll have my mom and we’ll have Rin. We should be fine. Lots of people have insecurities about becoming parents. We’re not the first.”

“Wait, are you insecure, too?” he replied, surprised.

“Of course I am!” she exclaimed, a little too close to his ears, which she could sense were flattening against his head. “This is really scary. I’ve got a new _life_ inside me. It’s going to do weird things to my body—it already is!” She meant to laugh, but it came out as more of a sob. Inuyasha felt his chest tighten as he thought about what he had done to her. He’d always thought it would be impossibly sexy to see Kagome pupped, and so far it was, but maybe also it wasn’t something that she necessarily saw in the same way.

They were at the steps to the shrine now, and Inuyasha gently set his mate down at the entryway. He made to go up the stairs, but Kagome stopped him when she grabbed his hand.

“I want you to understand,” she said quietly. “The next few months might be tough for me. Pregnancy isn’t easy, and being pregnant with a hanyou might be even harder. There aren’t books out there on this. I’m going to need you in ways that neither of us had ever thought possible. My emotions are going to be _insane_ , and you will have to deal with them shifting by the second.” He looked at her, surprised and terrified. “I read a book on human pregnancy,” she admitted. “Several, actually.”

“But the important thing is that we’re doing this together,” she continued. “You…and me. We have each other, and that’s not going to change. And we already love this pup.”

He smiled softly then and reached up to caress her cheek, tucking some of her flyaways behind her ear. “We do,” he replied. “That’s why I’m scared. I don’t want to fuck this up.”

She nuzzled into his touch and looked up at him, gentle brown eyes so full of love. “You won’t. You’re going to be the best papa any inu hanyou has ever had.”

“And you’re going to be the best mama,” he said immediately. He bent down and slowly took her lips with his own. They stayed like that for several moments, chaste, but relaying all the love they had in their hearts for each other, and for their unborn pup. Inuyasha’s mind settled, and the dust that had been brewing up around his fears of the future finally began to dissipate. He could do this. And he was going to be fucking awesome at it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Sesshomaru be able to help Kagome? Will Kagome be able to confess everything she's been seeing in her dreams to Inuyasha? And how will they do on their college exams? Find out in the next updates!


	39. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome feels the effects of pregnancy, both physically and spiritually. Kagome also graduates high school, learns her future is decided, and Inuyasha has a surprising new goal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime and/or manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello! As always, I hope that this update finds you safe and well.
> 
> And as always, thanks for all the kudos, bookmarks, and comments. I appreciate them all so much <3 
> 
> Please enjoy!

Inuyasha helped Kagome lug the pizza boxes into the gymnasium, setting them on a table covered with lots of different types of food. He recognized kaarage, takoyaki, and yakitori, as well as bowls of potato chips, along with mochi, taiyaki, daifuku, and several other desserts. He sighed as he plopped the boxes down onto the table, running his hands through his hair in relief.

“Why did you want to get…what did you call it?”

“Piz-za,” Kagome pronounced clearly for him.

“But look at all this food, mate,” he pointed out. “These pizza things seem out of place.”

Kagome pulled herself to her full height—she about reached the middle of his chest—and jabbed him with her finger. “I felt like pizza,” she said simply.

Inuyasha tried not to smirk. He got it. _Hormones_.

Her hormones had been running amok the past week or so. She saw a commercial on television; she’d cry. Mrs. Higurashi made Inuyasha ramen for dinner; she’d cry. Souta got an A on a math exam; she’d cry. And then, after the Tokyo U exam, she’d _raged_. For _hours_. And no amount of cuddling or soothing words or even anger in return would calm her. He was learning to take it all in stride and make himself scarce when necessary.

But he couldn’t let her carry the pizzas to the kyudo end-of-the-year party by herself, no matter how much she insisted she’d be fine. And he wasn’t going to leave her alone at the party, either. None of her teammates knew she was pupped; only her coach knew, and Suzuki-sensei had wisely decided to keep that knowledge quiet. She’d done well to not reveal Kagome’s pregnancy for the past two months; even during the final tournament, where Kagome placed first overall, all Suzuki-sensei had asked was whether or not Kagome had her midwife’s permission to compete. Suzuki-sensei had offered Kagome support, but made sure to do it without alerting the other girls. She was even polite to Inuyasha, which was shocking—she didn’t comment anymore when Inuyasha showed up at the gym, and even allowed him to help return the mato to storage after practice.

Kagome had mentioned that Suzuki-sensei said that the party was for team members only; he was sure that meant he needed to keep out. But Inuyasha could care less what the coach thought. His wife was pupped and he was going to make sure he kept a close eye on her.

Meanwhile, Kagome was anxiously searching for Suzuki-sensei. She’d gotten a letter from Tokyo U in the mail that morning, and she suspected it had to do with her acceptance. Inuyasha hadn’t gotten his letter yet, but he was a shoe-in, given Sesshomaru’s financial status. Kagome’s letter was thick; she knew this was a good sign. She thought about opening it with her family, but knew that it probably had information about her scholarship, and she’d much rather open the letter with Suzuki-sensei, who could tell her more about what any money might mean.

Inuyasha saw his mate wandering aimlessly around the party, saying hello here and there to people, but mostly moving around the space, apparently lost. He padded after her; she sensed him coming closer and whirled around to face him.

“What is it?” she hissed, her face immediately melting at her recognition of the harshness of her words. “I’m sorry,” she added. “It’s—”

“—Hormones, I know,” Inuyasha finished sourly. _How much longer would she be pupped??_

“Are you…okay?” he asked her. When she visibly tensed, he quickly added, “I mean, are you looking for someone, or something?”

Kagome relaxed. She held up her letter. “I wanted to open it with Suzuki-sensei,” she said.

“Keh,” he replied. “That old bat?”

“She’s not old, nor is she a bat, mate,” Kagome rejoined. She tweaked Inuyasha’s fake ear. “You know how important she is to me.”

He chose not to reply, grunting instead. He allowed her to take his hand and lead him to the coach’s office, Kagome murmuring, “She must be there.”

Sure enough, when Kagome knocked on the door, she heard a curt, “Enter.” When they stepped through the doorway, Suzuki-sensei was sitting at her desk, filling out some paperwork, her glasses having slipped down her nose. She looked up at the two through her frames. “Higurashi-kun? Why aren’t you out enjoying the party? And Fujimura-san? Why are you here? I thought we said team members only?” She narrowed her eyes at him; he glared right back at her, arms crossed over his chest, daring her to challenge him.

“May we sit?” Kagome said instead, laying a hand on Inuaysha’s arm to soothe him. Suzuki-sensei nodded and waved to the chairs in the front of the desk. They sat, and Kagome held up her letter from Tokyo U. Suzuki-sensei’s attention perked up when she saw the return address label.

“Is that what I think it is?” she asked slowly. Kagome nodded. Suzuki-sensei held her breath for a moment. “And you wanted to open that with me?” she asked. Kagome nodded again. Suzuki-sensei smiled. “It’s not a thin envelope.”

“It’s not,” Kagome replied. She hooked her finger into the envelope flap. “Should I?”

Suzuki-sensei nodded. Inuyasha held his breath. Kagome fiddled her finger along the flap, working the envelope open. She pulled out several pieces of paper and a folder. She shuffled the papers and began to read. Her eyes grew wide.

“’Gome?” said Inuyasha. Kagome looked at him, tears brimming over. She handed the papers to him. She handed the folder to Suzuki-sensei. Then she buried her face in her hands, sobbing silently.

“Wife, what in the hells is the matter?” Inuyasha exclaimed, fully forgetting himself and the moment.

Kagome continued to cry, but pointed at the letters. He read the first one carefully. Suzuki-sensei opened the folder and read through the papers.

For the first time ever, Inuyasha and Suzuki-sensei exchanged a look, then both turned to look at the weeping Kagome. Inuyasha put the papers on Suzuki-sensei’s desk and put his arm around his mate, rubbing her shoulder.

“Higurashi-kun,” said Suzuki-sensei hoarsely, “you did well.”

“Fuck yeah you did,” Inuyasha added, ignoring Suzuki-sensei’s dark face. “You fucking got in.”

“And you got a significant scholarship for kyudo,” Suzuki-sensei added, sliding the folder over to Inuyasha. He took it with his free hand, and his eyes practically bulged out of his head when he saw the number the university was prepared to offer his mate.

“You better accept,” Inuyasha said. Kagome now started to wail, growing louder with every breath.

Suzuki-sensei leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temple. “Higurashi-kun,” she said exasperatedly, “you _must_ stop these hysterics. _Please_.”

Kagome tried desperately to get herself under control. Inuyasha wanted to let some of his youki out to comfort his mate, but he couldn’t in front of Suzuki-sensei. Instead he continued to rub her shoulders, and he leaned over and whispered “I’ve got you; just breathe,” over and over, in her ear. Kagome started to relax; her tears slowed, and she was soon able to grasp Inuyasha’s hand in her own and squeeze it.

“That’s my girl,” he breathed. He looked at Suzuki-sensei. She rolled her eyes, and he had to refrain from laughing.

“I guess the only thing that you’ll have to do is decide when you are going to be able to join the team,” Suzuki-sensei said glibly.

Kagome’s face fell, and she started sobbing again. “What if they revoke my scholarship?” she cried, turning her face into Inuyasha’s arm. “What if they don’t want to wait for me to come back from having the pu--the baby?”

“Higurashi.” Suzuki-sensei’s voice was hard. Kagome looked up at her, tears still tracking down her cheeks. “Pull yourself together. Tomorrow you’ll call the coach, tell him your situation, and ask if you can wait to join the team until January. You’re one of the top kyudoka in the country. They wanted you, and they will wait for you.”

Kagome took a deep, shuddering breath, then another, then another. Gradually the breaths became steady, and her tears stopped. She blinked a few times, then reached across Inuyasha and took the folder. She began to flip through the papers. She grinned.

“I really did it, didn’t I?” she asked her coach and her mate. They both smiled gently. “I’m going to college, and on a scholarship.”

“Fuck yeah you are,” Inuyasha told her, reaching up and ruffling her hair. “And you’re going to kick ass at all of it.”  
  


* * *

Kagome rubbed her rapidly swelling stomach. Five months along, and she was finally beginning to show a real baby belly. The round ligament pains had been really getting to her lately; Asuka had suggested that it was time to scale back on the physical training and focus more on her spiritual training. She and Hideaki didn’t feel that spiritual training would hurt the pup; like Inuyasha, its youki seemed to be protected from Kagome’s miko powers.

“Really, Hideaki,” she said, sinking to the ground in a squat, and sighing as the position felt soothing on her aching back, “graduation is tomorrow. Do I have to keep practicing?”

“You bet,” he replied with a wry grin. “Let’s work on invisibility.”

Kagome groaned. Inuyasha got the day off; they had both been accepted at Tokyo University after taking the university-specific exam, and Kagome had indeed received permission to join the university kyudo team for the January term. Kagome suspected Sesshomaru had some pull, given that she didn’t feel like she’d performed all that well on the university exam, but she had long ago learned not to ask her brother-in-law too many questions. Inuyasha, the lucky dog, was coasting until the April term started. Once graduation was over, she was also going to argue for some much-needed time off. She was only five months along, but the pup was consuming her every thought, making it hard for her to concentrate on much else.

“Third eye, Kagome-sama,” said Hideaki, snapping her back to reality. She obediently closed her eyes. “Good. Now, let’s think about invisibility.” Kagome let her mind soften, peacefully listening to the lilt in Hideaki’s voice. “Imagine that you are but a shimmer upon the earth; your body is simply ghosting the surface. You’re here, but you’re not. No one can see you; no one can hear you. Your spiritual energy is all that keeps you tied to the earth.”

Kagome felt a lightness come over her body. She felt herself slipping away slowly, her feet both touching and not touching the earth. She felt glossy, like she was flitting in and out of reality. She opened her eyes; she could clearly see Hideaki, but he was squinting at her, like he was having trouble seeing her. “What’s wrong?” she asked him. His mouth made a little “o” of surprise.

“Kagome-sama,” he began, but suddenly her chest constricted and she cried out, starting to topple over. She came back fully into Hideaki’s vision; he rushed forward to catch her, helping ease her fall to her knees. He rubbed her back consolingly. “Kagome-sama,” he said again. “Are you all right?”

Kagome struggled to catch her breath. “Y—y—yes,” she managed to get out. She took some of her aura and sent it out to find Inuyasha, but before she could, he was there in the courtyard, shirtless and shoeless, dressed only in a dark blue hakama. He ran to her side, pulling her out of Hideaki’s grasp.

“Mate!” he called. Her eyes were rolling around in her head a little. It was hard to focus.

“Fuck!” he cursed. “Monk, what the _fuck_ did you do to her?” he demanded of Hideaki.

“She was working on turning herself invisible,” Hideaki said. “She did great.” He looked at Kagome, who was still reeling. “You did great, Kagome-sama.”

Kagome wheezed but managed to grin. “Could you see me?”

“You were definitely filmy,” he complimented her. “Fading in and out of reality. Excellent job.”

“Excellent my ass!” Inuyasha bellowed. “Look at her! She’s pupped, you asshole! She can’t do this kind of work!”

“I’m fine, Inuyasha,” Kagome interrupted, “really.”

“You don’t look fine, mate,” he said harshly. He made to lift her into his arms. “I want Asuka to check you out.”

“I said I’m _fine_ ,” Kagome replied testily, wiggling out of his grasp. She grabbed his hand and put it on her belly. “The pup’s fine, too. You can check for yourself.”

As if responding on cue, the pup kicked its father’s hand enthusiastically. Inuyasha gasped and looked at Kagome, his eyes wide.

“Mate…” he said softly. Kagome smiled.

“It knows you’re here, Inuyasha,” she replied, her eyes shining.

“I still want my niece to check you out,” he argued, somewhat lamely.

Kagome sighed. “Fine,” she acquiesced. “But I can stand, and I can walk by myself.”

Inuyasha grunted and took her by the elbow as he turned them towards the courtyard door. Hideaki sank to his knees, watching them go. He ran his hands through his hair.

“Dammit,” he swore.

“Things not going as planned, Son-in-Law?”

Hideaki looked up. “My Lord.”

The Lord of the West held out a hand to his son-in-law. Hideaki took it and allowed Sesshomaru to help him to his feet. Once he stood, Hideaki sighed. “It’s going to be hard to train her with your brother hovering constantly, my Lord.”

“This Sesshomaru cannot control his brother, Son-in-Law. You know this.”

“I do, my Lord. But time with Kagome-sama is limited. She’s not going to have the stamina for training much longer, and there are things she must learn.” Hideaki paused, deep in thought. “I hate to suggest this, but perhaps you could take Inuyasha-sama on a political trip for a few days?”

“To give you some space to train the miko?” Hideaki nodded. Sesshomaru stroked his chin thoughtfully. “This is not the worst idea, Son-in-Law. We can take Sayua along as well. But my brother may not leave his mate.”

“Let’s suggest that she can either stay in her family shrine home or here,” Hideaki suggested.

“That is acceptable,” Sesshomaru said. “This Sesshomaru will speak to his brother.”

“Thank you, my Lord.”

Sesshomaru frowned as he left the courtyard. The miko’s nightmares were concerning to him. It was important that she continue with her training for as long as possible so that she would be prepared for whatever was coming.

And there was something coming; he could feel it. Since the final battle with the bears, things had been quiet. Too quiet. Previously, the miko had drawn youkai to her like moths to a flame, and since September, there had been nothing. No attacks, no attempted murders or kidnappings…nothing. And while very little shook the Western Lord, this gave him pause for concern.

He’d suspected that the bears were not the only ones after Kagome (yes, he knew her name). But it was difficult to put his finger on exactly who could be either helping the bears as equals, or who might be leading them, or funding them, or doing something. With the deaths of Kurokuma and Hokutou, the remaining bear youkai had been…obedient, compliant, and eager to please his daughter, the new Lord of the East.

It made him uneasy in a way he couldn’t quite explain.

So, even though he was hesitant to take his brother away from his mate, he agreed with Hideaki. The miko was strong physically, and spiritually in terms of offense; but defensively, she could only make a barrier. And while it was strong, and could be made large or small, and could last for extended periods of time, that was all she could do. She needed to diversify her defensive abilities, like she had done with offense. He didn’t know why, but he felt like she might need to defend herself. Sometime soon.

* * *

“No way in fucking hell, Sess!” Inuyasha bellowed, causing heads to turn to look at him from across the school courtyard. “There’s no way I’m leaving her, even for a few days!”

“Inuyasha, _hush_ ,” Kagome hissed, gripping his arm through her graduation robe. “I’m actually having a good day today. Please don’t screw this up!”

Inuyasha looked down at his mate. Her face was shiny and pleading. She’d just sat through a three-hour graduation, without her back or her feet or belly hurting. She had her diploma in hand and they both had about ten days to relax before starting classes at Tokyo University. He was looking forward to snuggling with her on the couch, feeding her delicious foods, and showing her all the ways that he loved her. What he was _not_ looking forward to was taking a diplomatic trip with his bastard brother and idiot niece right at the beginning of that ten days. And he was going to let his brother know just how much it pissed him off.

Until he saw her face. She’d had a shit time of it lately, he knew. The midwife said the pains in her belly were from the baby growing, so there was nothing to worry about, but he still hated the way her scent shifted when they occurred. Like she was in the worst pain of her life, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He couldn’t bear to be away from her, but he also couldn’t bear to face her wrath if he caused a scene at her graduation. His ears flattened under the cloaking spell and he dropped his face to her neck, nuzzling her as if to say he gave up. She reached up and stroked his hair gently, turning to kiss his nose.

“How about if I stay with my mom? Would that be all right?” she asked him.

Mrs. Higurashi grinned. “I would love to have my girl home with me for a few days.”

“Even pregnant?” Inuyasha couldn’t help asking. Kagome turned from kissing him to hitting him playfully in the arm.

Mrs. Higurashi reached out for her daughter, and Kagome automatically went to her mother’s side, Mrs. Higurashi drawing her in close. “I was pregnant twice, Inuyasha-kun. I think I’m well-equipped to handle anything she throws at me.”

“Don’t be so sure,” he grumbled. Then, straightening up, he turned to his brother. “All right. We leave tomorrow?”

“First thing,” Sesshomaru replied smoothly. “Don’t keep Jaken waiting.” Inuyasha snarled softly and reached out for his mate. Kagome obediently left her mother’s side and returned to his. Inuyasha ruffled her hair affectionately.

“I’m proud of you, wench,” he said with a wide smile. “You saved the world _and_ managed to graduate high school. You did good.”

“Don’t forget that I also tamed a wild hanyou and am carrying his child,” she teased. “That’s pretty good too, I would argue.”

“Keh,” he replied, pulling her close.

Kagome beamed. The day really had been lovely. She didn’t feel especially close to her classmates, except for Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi, but she did have good relationships with her fellow kyudoka. And she adored Suzuki-sensei. She passed all her subjects, including math. She got into Tokyo University, one of the top schools in the country, and with a scholarship for kyudo. They had even agreed to let her begin competing in January, even though she would be required to attend team practices during the spring term for as long as she was able.

The best part of all, was that she was able to share this day with her family and friends. Her mother, Jii-chan, and Souta of course were there. But she had never imagined that a) she would be able to graduate high school at all, and b) that Inuyasha would be there to see it. And yet, there he’d been in the crowd, sandwiched between Rin and his brother, scowling most of the time. The only time she’d seen his face brighten was when she crossed the stage, and he’d applauded loudest of all, whooping and making Sesshomaru roll his eyes at his enthusiasm. But Inuyasha’s actions made Kagome’s insides warm and melty. He was _there_ , and he was so proud of her. She could feel his pride radiating off him all the way across the field.

Now if the pup would just stop kicking! She was exhausted, and she wanted to go home.

“Inuyasha,” she said, looking up into his eyes.

“Mate?” he asked fondly.

“It’s time to go,” she said.

He ran his clawless hands through her hair. He looked at their family. “I’d like to take Kagome home, now,” he said. It wasn’t a request.

“I’m sure you could use a nap, dear,” Mrs. Higuashi said to her daughter. “Dinner will be at 6:30.” She turned to Sesshomaru and Rin. “I hope you’ll join us,” she said.

“We’d love to,” said Rin immediately. She turned to Sesshomaru. “I’d like to go home to freshen up.” She looked back at Mrs. Higurashi. “If the girls and Hideaki are free, may they join us for dinner as well? I’ll put together something to bring.”

“Of course,” Mrs. Higurashi smiled back.

“Inuyasha.” Kagome pulled at his sleeve.

“We’ll see you all for dinner,” Inuyasha said. Kagome hugged everyone, even Sesshomaru, who tried to look annoyed and failed. Together they headed off the field and in the direction of the shrine.

“Kagome!!” Yuka cried. Kagome looked at her friends coming across the field.

“Hi, girls,” she said tiredly. Inuyasha’s chest rumbled slightly in warning. Yuka understood immediately and remained a few respectful steps back, but Eri and Ayumi ran to Kagome and threw their arms around her. Kagome stumbled a little under the sudden pressure and weight. Quick as a flash Inuyasha picked up both girls and deposited them a few feet from his mate.

“What the hell!” Eri demanded.

“What’s wrong, Kagome?” Yuka asked, ignoring their friend.

Kagome sighed and leaned against Inuyasha, who slipped an arm around her and held her close. “Just tired,” she replied.

Inuyasha could tell that Yuka was trying very hard not to smell Kagome out of respect for Inuyasha. But Yuka knew. She had to know. Five months in? If she didn't, she was no neko youkai. Then he could tell that Yuka had finally scented his mate, and she visibly relaxed. She got it.

“It’s been a long day,” Yuka said, putting a comforting arm on Eri. “I bet you just want to go home, right, Kagome?”

Kagome smiled, grateful for her diplomatic neko friend. “Yes, Yuka, thank you.” She looked at Eri and Ayumi. “Congratulations to us, right? It’s so hard to believe we’re high school graduates!”

Ayumi laughed. “It’s easy to believe for us,” she commented, “but maybe not as easy for _you_.”

Kagome felt Inuyasha’s youki threatening to spill forth and dissipate his disguise. She tucked herself closer into his side. “Not here, anata,” she whispered. His arm wrapped around her tighter, but she felt him relax.

“Let’s go,” he said shortly. He nodded at Yuka, ignored the other two, and pulled Kagome away.

“See you,” Yuka said weakly, and Kagome lifted a half-hearted wave in return.

As they walked away, Kagome pinched her mate on the arm. _Hard_.

“What the fuck, woman?” he hissed.

“Could you _be_ any ruder?” she demanded.

“Fuck, you’re tired and you’re pupped, and they were in the way,” he said.

“That’s no reason to be such an ass.”

He barked out a laugh. “Do you even know me, mate?”

She smiled. He had a point. She let it go.

“Oi, Kagome,” he said suddenly. She looked at him quizzically. “How would you feel if I learned how to drive?”

Now it was Kagome’s turn to be surprised. “I didn’t think you’d be interested in that.”

“Keh,” he said. “I passed those college exams. How hard can a driver’s test be?”

“It’s…a lot of time and work,” she replied, frowning. She knew how impatient he could be.

“I want to be able to drive before the pup arrives,” he insisted. “I’ll put in the work.”

Kagome smiled softly and kissed his cheek. “I know you will.” She paused. “We will have so much freedom if you get a license. It will be amazing.”

By this point they had left the school grounds and the crowds were thinning out. Inuyasha knelt down. “What are you doing?” Kagome asked.

“Climb up, wench,” he said. “Until I can drive, this is your mode of transportation.”

Kagome laughed merrily, holding her sides, her laugh tinkling in Inuyasha’s ears. He flushed and she reached out to pat his cheek.

“You are _always_ my preferred mode of transportation,” she whispered huskily.

Inuyasha didn’t wait for her permission. He hitched her up on his back, her squealing and protesting weakly, and took off for the shrine. He was going to make her live up to that statement, maybe a few times, if she had the energy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What will happen when Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Sayua leave on their diplomatic trip? How will it go? Will Hideaki be able to train Kagome while the family is gone? Or will they run into some challenges? Find out in the next update; and of course, thanks so much for reading!


	40. Happiness, Heartbreak, and Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome has another vision, and is finally forced to tell Inuyasha everything. Inuyasha reacts like you'd expect, but not for the reasons you'd expect. For about ten minutes, Sesshomaru reveals that he actually does have a heart, and it's wonderful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime and/or manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello all! Wherever you are, I hope that you are safe and well.
> 
> Apologies that it's been a few days. I've been slammed, and I've been frantically rewriting some chapters to deliver the best work that I can to all of you. Thanks so much for your comments and kudos over the past few days; I'm so glad that you are enjoying the story ^_^ <3

Kagome kind of hated to admit it, but getting Inuyasha out of her hair for a few days was _so_ freaking helpful. Without his constant hovering and unfurling of his youki, she felt a little more at peace within herself. She wondered if the pup was reacting to its father’s youki, and if that was disturbing her own spiritual powers, making her more emotional than what would be normal for even a normal pregnant woman. If that was the case, then the training with Hideaki was going to be critical. As the pregnancy progressed, the pup could respond to Inuyasha’s youki more. And what about when the pup was finally born?

No. It was time to learn some control, and to learn to connect with her pup, even from within her womb.

And now she sat in the courtyard on the bench under the sakura trees, Hideaki kneeling before her, his hands on her knees, with Asuka and Rin hovering close by if they were needed quickly. They all felt the pressure of the time ticking away until Inuyasha returned, because when he did, Kagome’s training might come to an end.

“Two things we’re going to work on while Inuyasha-sama is gone,” Hideaki said gently, drawing Kagome’s attention. “Invisibility and soothing the pup’s youki.”

Kagome took a deep breath. “Can we work on the second one first? I feel like that might not be as hard, and I want to make sure we work on it today.”

Hideaki smiled. “You bet.” He turned to his sister-in-law. “Asuka, we need you.”

Asuka padded over and sat beside Kagome on the bench, wrapping her arm around her aunt affectionately. “What’s up, Brother?” she asked.

“I want you to help us out by scenting the pup,” Hideaki said. “If it’s getting too agitated, we need to pull back. Kagome-sama and I can’t detect anything but its youki, and it might be too late for us to intervene if something happens. If the pup’s scent changes, you can tell us and we can pull back.”

Asuka grinned and placed her hand on Kagome’s slightly swollen belly. The pup kicked enthusiastically. Kagome grunted.

“You got a spicy runt in there, Auntie,” Asuka laughed. Kagome rubbed her belly, both affectionately and tiredly.

“ _How_ many more months is the pup going to be cooking?” Kagome asked her niece. “It’s gonna come out of me _Alien_ -style.”

Asuka laughed again. “Maybe four months? It’s hard to say with a hanyou pup. We’ll keep a close eye on it, don’t you worry.”

“If you two are done,” interrupted Hideaki, drawing the attention of both women, “let’s get started.” When he saw that their faces were serious, he settled down.

“Kagome-sama,” he said quietly, “let’s try soothing your pup. I want you to reach into your third eye, draw out your power, and wrap your pup in it. Don’t think about burying the pup in your aura, but rather, gently surrounding it, as though you were holding your pup yourself.”

Kagome nodded and closed her eyes. She drew herself into her third eye and relaxed. Then, slowly, she drew out her power, and in her third eye, she saw herself running her hands down her body, coming to a rest over her belly. She felt her aura infiltrate her belly, wrapping her pup like a warm, soft blanket. She felt her pup respond; at first it was resistant, kicking and moving about a bit (and even though she was in her third eye, she felt Asuka near, ready to bring her back if need be), but then, the pup settled down and eventually fell sleep. Kagome smiled.

Suddenly, with a great whoosh of wind and force, Kagome was sent down, down, down, into her own throat and through her body. She stifled a scream as she felt as though she were turning inside out. She rushed through her own body, whipping past her heart and her lungs; through her stomach, and then down into her own uterus. There she floated, face-to-face with her child.

Gods, it was beautiful.

The pup’s face was perfectly formed, eyes closed in its slumber, two tiny dog ears poking up through its skull, pink skin luminescent against the glow of her womb. She felt herself tearing up at the sight. _Ears like its father_. She saw the baby’s perfect little nose and mouth, neutral and peaceful. She saw two tiny little hands curled in fists under its chin, and Kagome could just make out teeny claws starting to form. As she took in her pup’s body, her eyes widened. She realized that she could make out the baby’s sex. She knew what their pup was going to be.

Then the pup opened their mouth and sighed, and Kagome was whisked away, back up through her body, so fast she felt she might throw up, and then she was on the ground on her hands and knees, breathing hard and dry heaving.

“Kagome-sama!” Hideaki was shouting, shaking her gently.

“Auntie!” Asuka was rubbing her back.

“Kagome-chan!” Rin was lightly slapping her cheeks.

“Oh, shit,” groaned Kagome, opening her eyes. Everyone leapt back slightly and sighed with relief. Kagome sat back on her haunches and rubbed her face, trying to bring her senses back.

“Are you all right, Kagome-chan?” asked Rin anxiously.

Asuka immediately began sniffing her. “No pain, Auntie?”

Kagome continued rubbing her face. “I’m okay,” she grunted. “Fine. Never better.” Then she leaned over and emptied the contents of her stomach all over the courtyard.

“I guess we won’t be trying that again,” said Asuka, looking directly at Hideaki.

Kagome sat back and wiped her mouth, only slightly embarrassed. “No, it wasn’t that,” she said. “I had a vision.”

“What?” everyone cried. Rin clasped Kagome’s hand tightly.

“I whipped through my own body. That’s why I got sick…I was moving way too fast. But…I saw the pup. It was so sweet; it was sleeping. It has little ears like Inuyasha.” Kagome started to get weepy. “I know what it’s going to be.”

Now everyone scooted back even further. “How is that possible?” Rin breathed.

Hideaki frowned. “I don’t know.” He looked at Kagome. “Have you been having other visions, Kagome-sama?”

Kagome flushed and her stomach got queasy again at the thought of Kikyo and Onigumo. “Not—while I’m awake,” she finally managed to say.

“Well, fuck me,” said Asuka, “this is one hell of a development.”

“Is this normal with a hanyou pregnancy?” Kagome asked Rin.

Rin shook her head. “Not with me. But I’m not a miko.”

“You’re the first of your kind that we know of, Auntie,” Asuka said. She looked at Hideaki again. “We’re going to think carefully about how to procced.”

Hideaki nodded. “Let’s call it a day for today, Kagome-sama. But if you don’t mind, I’d like to talk with you about some things, so we can plot the next best course of action.”

“Sure, sure,” murmured Kagome. She felt herself slipping. Rin quickly wrapped her arm around the girl. “We can’t tell Inuyasha,” Kagome mumbled. Then, looking at her sister-in-law, she said something no one was expecting before she lost consciousness.

“You need to call Sesshomaru and tell him. Now.”

* * *

Inuyasha sat at the round conference table, his head resting in one hand, his claws clacking away on the table with the other. He was somewhere between restlessness and sleep. His brother and niece were going on and on about reorganizing the borders of the lands with Kouga and Kashikoi and some of their top advisers, and honestly, he just wanted to get the fuck out of there and get back to his mate, whose hormones had been taking him through the wringer lately. Even so far away, he could feel her sadness, her anger, her joy…all intense, often immediately following each other, and sometimes overlaying each other. It was exhausting.

Besides, he was not made for diplomatic negotiations. He much preferred negotiations that ended in him taking off someone’s head.

Just as his eyes were closing, he felt some vibrating on the table next to him. He lifted his head to see Rin’s name on his brother’s phone. Sesshomaru excused himself and got up from the table; if Rin was calling, when she knew that they were involved in a business meeting, it must be serious.

When Sesshomaru returned to the table, he gave no indication of the content of the call. He did, however, allow his eyes to flicker to Inuyasha for just the briefest of moments. Inuyasha picked up on this, and immediately began to silently freak out. He knew something must be wrong with Kagome, but if Sesshomaru was going to continue the meeting, then it must not be anything that warranted much concern...but still.

The meeting droned on late into the evening, with laptops and maps spread out across the table as everyone tried to negotiate for the best security for their respective regions. Inuyasha did his best to pay attention and not doze off, but to be honest, if it wasn’t for Sesshomaru’s constant kicks under the table, he would have been passed out long ago. He longed to be home in his cottage with his mate, curled up on the couch, running his claws gently up and down her arms, feeling their pup moving around in her belly, dozing off with their bodies intertwined…

“…and that brings us to the matter of security. Inuyasha?”

“Huh?” Inuyasha snapped out of his reverie and his head shot straight up.

“Articulate as always,” Sesshomaru commented. “What do you have to report in terms of security around the borders?”

Inuyasha flipped open his laptop and quickly worked his way through some different screens to find the report he’d gotten most recently from the top security advisers. “Activity between the lands of the West and East has quieted considerably now that Sayua has taken over the Lordship of the East. However, we have noticed that the activity has shifted to between the lands of the North and East. We are continuing to monitor the bears closely. Although most of them seem to have accepted Sayua as Lord of the East, we’re hearing that there are those who were loyal to Ussuri and Hokutou that are still trying to drum up support to oust her.” He smirked. “They think because she is a female she will be easy to bring down.” Sayua snickered as Inuyasha continued to scour the page. “And they are still trying to recruit from the North to overthrow Kouga.” He read the page to the end. “It looks like from what we’ve learned, the lands of the West and South have been deemed untouchable for now.” He sat up and ran a hand through his hair. “However, I would say that we still need to stay focused on protecting those borders, too. When things are too quiet, there’s a tendency to get careless.”

Sesshomaru nodded, then turned to Ginta and Hakkaku, Kouga’s betas and his security advisers, to begin a discussion of how they might best address insurrection at the borders. Inuyasha tried to stay involved in the conversation; since he had recently adopted the same role, he needed to pay attention to how he should be acting and what he should be doing. Now that he had responsibilities, both to his brother and to his mate, he was going to try his damnedest to fulfill them.

Several hours later, the meeting finally adjourned. Sesshomaru, Sayua, and Inuyasha left Kouga’s keep and went down to the car, exhausted. They’d reserved hotel rooms for the evening—the keep stunk too much like wolf and no self-respecting inu youkai would be caught dead spending the night there—but instead of directing Jaken to the hotel, Sesshomaru instead asked that he take them home.

“It’s hours and hours back to the manor, Father,” said Sayua, surprised.

“We have pressing business waiting for us back home, Daughter,” Sesshomaru answered. He looked right at Inuyasha. “Your mate has had an…incident…while training. She is _fine_ ,” continued, seeing Inuyasha’s face turn from tan to a mottled red. “We would have left immediately were she not. However, it is best that we return now, so we can learn more about what happened.”

It took every ounce of control in Inuyasha’s body not to immediately lose his shit. How had he not felt this through their mark? He always felt every single emotion she had, and he felt them really fucking intensely. How could he not feel this?

“The miko was in a meditative state when the incident occurred,” Sesshomaru added, as though he could hear his brother’s thoughts. “You may not have been able to sense her emotions as they were happening. Or they may have seemed like her normal hormonal emotions. It is unclear.”

Inuyasha sat hunched over in the car, sputtering in fury. How the _fuck_ did he not know this was happening? Why the _fuck_ would his brother keep him in a meeting when he _knew_ that Kagome was in trouble? He heard himself snarling in spite of his desire to keep his emotions tamped down.

“Inuyasha.” His brother had clearly heard his snarls. “The miko is fine. You have no reason to be concerned. We are returning because we need to discuss what happened. That is all.”

“Easy for you to say,” he growled. “It’s not your mate who’s pupped and who’s being treated like a goddamn guinea pig.”

“Uncle,” said Sayua soothingly, “please relax. My Lady Mother would have told us to come right away if the matter was urgent. Surely you must realize that.”

Inuyasha _did_ realize that, thank you very much, but he didn’t give a shit. They were just going to have to deal with his rage and worry until they returned home.

* * *

A few hours later, the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon when the car pulled up the driveway to the manor house. Jaken had barely put the car in park when Inuyasha flew out of the backseat and into the house. It was eerily quiet inside. Inuyasha sent out his youki in a panic, trying to find his wife.

“She is resting comfortably, Uncle,” said Asuka, padding down the hallway to greet him and the rest of the family. She looked exhausted. “Her mother is here. Please do not disturb her. She needs her rest.”

“What the fuck did you and the monk do to my wife, Niece?” he hissed.

“Uncle, she is _fine_ , I promise,” replied Asuka. “Wait until later this morning. Please.”

“How about if I escort you to your rooms, Uncle?” Sayua suggested. “So long as you are quiet and don’t disturb Auntie, I know you’ll feel better being there with her.”

Inuyahsa grunted and allowed Sayua to guide him upstairs. She led him to the rooms he and Kagome had stayed in after Kurokuma attacked him and she’d healed him.

“Quiet, Uncle,” reminded Sayua softly as she opened the door to let him in. “I’ll see you in a few hours,” she added. “I’m going to check on my mate, too.” She left Inuyasha alone in the doorway.

Mrs. Higurashi was dozing in a chair next the futon, her hand resting in Kagome’s. Kagome lay on her left side, like she was supposed to; Inuyasha walked around the futon quietly to inspect her face. It was calm, and clear; her breathing was regular, and he scented no fear or distress from her. Asuka was right; she was fine. Quietly, so as to not wake her or her mother, he lay down beside his wife, and snuggled up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and their pup.

“Inuyasha,” she breathed, bringing her hands up around his own.

“I’m here, koi,” he murmured in her ear. “I’ll always be here.”

 _Fuck it all_ , he thought. _I’m never fucking leaving her side again._

* * *

When Kagome awoke the following day, the curtains in her room were drawn, hiding the time of day. She pushed herself up from her side, breaking her mother’s grasp. Mrs. Higurashi stirred, and opened her eyes. She saw her daughter alive and awake and slowly blinking her eyes.

“What time is it, Mama?” Kagome asked.

Mrs. Higurashi looked at her watch. “It’s still morning, but it’s after 10.” She turned to gaze at her daughter softly. “How are you feeling, dear?”

Kagome yawned and stretched her arms. She lowered her arms to her belly, feeling the pup roll around. “Okay. Tired still. But okay.”

“How about we go get some breakfast? Mrs. Higurashi suggested.

Kagome sent out her aura, searching for her mate. She found him in the kitchen, and smiled as his youki leapt forward to meet hers. “Let’s wait for our escort, Mama,” she said with a smile.

When Inuyasha reached the room, he saw Kagome and her mother, talking quietly together. Kagome was still sitting on the futon; her mother was next to her in a chair. He tried to hold his shit together and strode into the room like the Prince of the West that he was. “Hey,” was all he could muster.

Kagome flashed a brilliant smile back at him. “Hey, you.”

Inuyasha crossed the room in one step, sat on the futon beside her, and pressed her against his body, burying her head in his shirt. “Gods, I missed you so fucking much,” he murmured into her hair. Then he held her out at arm’s length, frowning. “But mate, I have to ask you: what in all of the hells were you thinking, working on developing your spiritual powers like that?”

“Inuyasha, I—”

“You could have hurt the pup, Kagome, or worse, you could have been hurt yourself!” He was still holding her, squeezing tighter and tighter. Kagome gasped as his claws pricked her skin. “Gods, when Sess told me what happened, it was all I could do not to blow everything to fucking hell and get here as fast as I could!”

“Inuyasha.” He was starting to hurt her a little.

“I just—” he continued to squeeze her arms, even as his head fell forward. “I couldn’t lose you. Not now.”

“Inuyasha-kun.” He finally looked up when Mrs. Higurashi had laid a hand quietly over his. He realized he was gripping his wife tightly, and she was wincing with pain. “Enough.”

His ripped his hands away from Kagome. “Fuck, I’m so sorry,” he whispered, covering his face in his hands, “I can’t believe I got so carried away…” He didn’t want them to see the tears that were threatening to spill over. _Fuck it, I’m such a baka. Again_ , he thought.

Kagome sat quietly on the futon, twisting her hands nervously in her lap. She looked up at her mother, who rose. “I’m going to get Asuka to have her check you over,” she said quietly. She kissed her daughter, and laid a gentle hand on Inuyasha’s shoulder, before she left the room.

Now alone, Kagome and Inuyasha sat and stared at each other. Inuyasha couldn’t keep his eyes off her upper arms, which bled slightly. Because of him.

“I’m okay,” she said softly. He blinked. “Really,” she reiterated.

“But your mother just went to get Asuka,” he mumbled, lowering his eyes again, reminded of his inability to control himself.

“Yes, but not because of _you_ ,” she replied. “I did have quite a busy day yesterday, you know.”

At that Inuyasha crossed his arms angrily, wishing again for some long sleeves he could hide his hands in. “I know you did, mate.”

His tone made her cringe a little. “It’s not what you think, anata.”

“Well, why don’t you tell me, ‘Gome!” he shouted, no longer feeling guilty over his actions. “Fucking hell, look at what happened to you!”

“Little brother,” said a surprising voice from behind them, “you need to let the miko speak.”

“And what the fuck are you doing here, Sess?” He leapt off the futon and rounded on his brother, who was now the source of his ire. “Why are you suddenly so interested in my mate?”

“Because your mate reached out to this Sesshomaru for help,” Sesshomaru said simply, entering the room, Asuka and Hideaki close behind him.

Inuyasha blinked. “I’m sorry,” he said, “but I thought I heard you say that Kagome went to you for help?” He looked at his mate.

Kagome shrank a little under his glare. “I did, Inuyasha,” she said in a small voice. “I’m sorry, but…”

“But this was not an issue that the miko felt she was prepared to talk to you about, little brother,” Sesshomaru finished her sentence smoothly. “Do not be angry with the miko. But this Sesshomaru would agree that perhaps it is time for her to tell you everything. _Everything_ ,” he added when he saw the look on Kagome’s face.

“Do I have to?” Her voice was still very small.

Asuka sat beside Kagome and took her hand. “Whatever happened yesterday, Auntie, my uncle needs to know, and needs to know why my Lord Father insisted on returning from their meeting so quickly.”

Sesshomaru nodded. “It is time, miko,” he said in the gentlest voice any of them had ever heard.

Kagome’s eyes filled with tears. “Sesshomaru, please don’t make me,” she croaked, the tears falling fast and furious.

“Sesshomaru!” barked Inuyasha, now getting alarmed. “Just what _in all the hells is going on?_ ”

Hideaki and Asuka were also becoming frightened. Kagome’s sobs were becoming loud and ugly; she had thrown herself onto Asuka and was weeping as though she were about to go over the edge. Asuka shot a look at her father, somewhere between _help me_ and _what did you do?_ Inuyasha was now growling and also shooting a look at his brother—much more murderous than Asuka’s. Hideaki quickly stepped in to mediate the situation.  
  
“Sister, why don’t we let them talk?” he said. “Inuyasha-sama, you _must_ try to calm down.” He glared at Inuyasha until Inuyasha visibly backed down, still refusing to submit to his nephew, but at least moving away from Sesshomaru and turning his attention back to Kagome, who was still clinging to Asuka and crying openly.

Asuka nodded to Inuyasha, who came over and tried to take Kagome from his niece. However, Kagome only gripped Asuka tighter. Asuka looked up at Hideaki and her father.

“Daughter.” Sesshomaru stepped up to Asuka and Kagome, and gently unwrapped Kagome’s arms from his daughter’s neck. He took Kagome and held her as though she were a child; everyone in the room watched, slack-jawed, as Sesshomaru spoke to Kagome in a quiet voice. Asuka and Inuyasha could hear the words “Kikyo,” and “it’s time,” and they all saw her shake her head furiously. Asuka nodded to Hideaki, and together they left the room, Hideaki pausing to squeeze Inuyasha’s shoulder in comfort.

Inuyasha, meanwhile, watched in disbelief as his brother comforted his mate. _Hell must have frozen over_ , he thought, his mind about to go into a jealous rage. He didn’t know that Sesshomaru could remember Kagome’s name, must less be tender towards her. He pulled together every ounce of his sanity to try and not murder his brother on the spot, and instead did what he should do. He used his words, as few as they were.

“Onii-san,” Inuyasha said in a low voice. Sesshomaru looked up at him; he was still stroking Kagome’s hair.

Sesshomaru bent down and whispered something to Kagome again. She shook her hair, sobbing and grabbing at Sesshomaru’s shirt, her tears leaving stain down the front. He sighed, removed her hands, then looked at Inuyasha. He nodded once. Inuyasha crossed the room and stood beside Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru lifted Kagome from his arms and transferred her to Inuyasha, who slipped his arms around his mate and held her tightly. She tried to break free, but he held on, whispering words of love until she began to calm down. Sesshomaru did not leave; instead, he leaned against the far wall, his arms crossed, frowning as though he was either deep in thought or disapproved of the entire scene (or perhaps both).

Finally, Kagome’s tears began to subside, and she now clutched at Inuyasha, whispering, “I’m sorry” over and over again. Her scent was so confusing it was making him heady; she was filled with hormones from the pregnancy, but also extreme terror, sadness, and desperation. He couldn’t figure out what was happening.

At last Kagome pulled back from Inuyasha. She looked over his shoulder at Sesshomaru. “I can’t tell him,” she said.

“Miko. You must.” He was no longer offering words of comfort; he was clearly annoyed at her inability to pull herself together.

“Tell me what?” Inuyasha asked, again summoning all of his strength to not lose his shit.

Kagome looked at Sesshomaru again. He made a “tch” sound of frustration and glared at her. She took a deep breath.

“Anata,” she said, deliberately using her term of endearment for him. “Do you remember the night after I told you about the pup? The dream I had?”

Of course he fucking remembered. He almost destroyed their bedroom when she told him. But he held his tongue and just nodded.

“Okay.” Her hands went protectively to her belly, rubbing the pup as though to comfort both it and herself. “What if I told you that the dreams haven’t stopped? That they’ve gotten stronger…and more vivid?”

“Vivid…how?” Inuyasha wasn’t sure he was going to like where this was going.

“I’ve…seen things, anata.” She paused. “Things I wish I hadn’t. Things that have made me sick, that I passed off as the pup making me nauseated.” She stopped again. “It wasn’t the pup. Not _all_ of it, anyway.”

Inuyasha was now gritting his teeth and driving his claws into the pads of his fingers. He was drawing blood—he could scent it—but he didn’t care. He had to know. Or he didn’t want to ever fucking know. He couldn’t decide.

“I won’t tell you if you don’t want to know.” Her voice was so tiny it could have come from miles away.

“No,” he said immediately, his voice somehow finding strength and operating outside of himself. “No. You have to tell me.” He looked at his brother. “You told that bastard, and you can’t tell me? Why the fuck not, Kagome?” Sesshomaru now took out a nail file and began to file his claws, looking all the more like he’d had enough drama in those minutes to last him his entire, very, very, long, life.

“You won’t like it.” Now she couldn’t look him in the face.

“I thought we discussed this, mate.” He was getting irritated, but not for the reasons she thought. “You’re my mate. I love you. _I love you, Kagome_.” That drew her attention to his eyes, which he hoped burned with all his love for her. “You can tell him, but you can’t tell me?”

“It’s _because_ I love you that I can’t tell you, baka!” she shrieked, throwing her hands up as if to shield herself from him.

He grabbed her hands before she could make a barrier. “Don’t keep this from me, koi! Don’t keep yourself from me!” He pulled her so close their noses were practically touching. She could feel his breath on her cheeks. His golden eyes held her chocolate ones steady, refusing to let her look away. “You can tell me anything,” he said softly. He let go of one of her hands to cup her face gently. “You can _always_ tell me anything.”

“Okay.” She looked at Sesshomaru. “Promise me you’ll step in if necessary.”

“This Sesshomaru makes no such promises,” he said languidly, still filing his nails. He paused to return her gaze. “However, should the need arise, this one will step in as he sees fit.”

Kagome expelled a breath slowly. “Okay, anata,” she said, turning her gaze back to Inuyasha. He was still so close to her. She prayed Sesshomaru could get to her in time if Inuyasha went feral, which she totally thought he could do.

“In my dreams, Kikyo and Onigumo were…intimate.”

Inuyasha’s mind became a total blank. “What?”

Her face reddened and she lowered her eyes. She couldn’t look at him. “I didn’t see it in the first dream, although I knew it was coming. But in the subsequent dreams, Kikyo and Onigumo were very…together.” Now she turned her gaze upward, the tears returning and threatening to spill over. “Like how you and I are.”

Inuyasha growled, and in a flash, Sesshomaru had him, pressed up against the wall, one arm holding Inuyasha back with the other arm pressed into his brother’s throat. Inuyasha growled again and flashed his fangs. “Let me go, Sess!” he howled. Sesshomaru held him tighter, and Kagome dropped and curled into a ball on the futon.

“I’m not gonna fucking hurt her, Sess, I swear!” His voice was becoming raspy as Sesshomaru pressed on his windpipe. “Let me go to her!”

“Not until you are calm, little brother.” Sesshomaru’s voice was a low hiss. “She is _whelped_. You cannot lay a finger on her.”

“Fuck it all, Sess, I know that!” Inuyasha protested. “Let me go!”

It was funny; Kagome’s revelation didn’t hurt as much as he’d though it would. He was pissed, for sure, but after what she’d told him the night of the new year, he’d…expected?...something like this to be part of the story. He didn’t know why…he had never scented Onigumo on Kikyo, so maybe it was just a vision? Some kind of weird, hormonal twist of fate?

Or if it was real, maybe there was a reason he’d never scented Onigumo on her. Maybe it had only happened once, and she had purified herself after? Kikyo was powerful. He thought maybe she could do something like that. Who the fuck knew.

Kagome continued to sob in a ball on the futon. Inuyasha’s youki was chafing against his brother now, anxious to go to its mate and comfort her, all thoughts of Kikyo pushed from his mind by Kagome’s suffering. She was all that mattered. “Sesshomaru.” Inuyasha’s voice was low, and he whined his brother’s name, much to his own chagrin. “Please.”

“This Sesshomaru will release you, little brother,” came the clipped reply. “But if you make a move against the miko…”

“…You won’t hesitate to kill me, yeah, yeah, I get it,” Inuyasha said recklessly. “Do what ya gotta do, Sess. Just _please_.”

The final _please_ must have gotten to Sesshomaru, because he released Inuyasha, who flew across the room to wrap himself around Kagome. “Mate,” he whispered. “It’s okay. I’m here. I’m here. You’re okay.”

Kagome rolled onto her back; Inuyasha helped her sit up. “You’re—you’re here?” she whimpered.

He smiled; he couldn’t help it. She was so fucking cute, even when she was a pitiful mess. “Where else would I be, koishii?” He brushed her hair out of her face, then leaned forward and began tenderly licking her cheeks, washing away her tears. The act made her start to breathe erratically again, but he pressed a finger to her lips to still her, and continued his ministrations. She quieted and allowed him this act of love.

When he was satisfied that she was properly clean again (her eyes were still puffy and red, but he couldn’t fix that with his tongue—he needed a cool washcloth and she needed rest), he took her into his arms. Sesshomaru, satisfied that Inuyasha was not, in fact, going to kill his mate, made to leave the room.

“Wait, Sess,” Inuyasha called out. Sesshomaru paused at the doorway. “Thank you,” Inuyasha said. “Thank you for being someone my mate felt she could talk to, when she didn’t feel she could talk to me. Thank you for taking care of her.”

“Yes, Sesshomaru,” said Kagome softly. At her voice, Sesshomaru started, as though he wanted to respond with feeling.

Instead, he drew himself up to his full height. “The miko is family,” Sesshomaru replied. “Inu youkai always take care of family.”

Inuyasha smirked. “Whatever you want to tell yourself, onii-san,” he called after his brother. When the door was closed, Inuyasha turned to Kagome. “I’m sorry,” he said, burying his face in her hair. “I’m sorry for being a shit mate that you didn’t think you could trust. I’m sorry because you’re right; maybe you couldn’t have trusted me with this. I’m sorry for making you worry when you’re whelped. I’m sorry because I love you so fucking much, and _fuck_ , this fucking _hurts_ , but not for the reasons you think.”

Kagome snuggled closer to his chest, curling her hands in the silver hair that fell over his shoulders. “I’m sorry too, anata,” she said. “I’m sorry for not trusting you. I should have told you directly, and not gone to your brother first.”

“After how I reacted when you told me about the first dream?” Inuyasha barked out a laugh. “Fuck, I wouldn’t have told me either. But that’s on me. That’s not on you. You have to feel like you can tell me anything, and it’s on me to make sure you feel that way. If you don’t, then that’s my fucking fault.”

“Inuyasha, wait,” Kagome said suddenly. She sat up and rested her hands on his cheeks. He looked her, ears twitching. Kagome thought absently that if he had a tail, it would be thumping away. She smiled to herself. _So like a puppy._

“You’re right that I was afraid to tell you. But I also had another purpose for telling Sesshomaru. I wanted to know if this was true—or if my dreams were just dreams. But now…I’ve had a vision during the day.”

He stared at her, stunned.

She stroked his cheeks with her thumbs to soothe him and continued. “When I was using my aura to practice soothing the pup, I was suddenly sucked down into myself. I could see my insides; I could see everything.” She held his gaze. “I saw the pup, Inuyasha. I saw her.”

“You saw the pup?” he cried. “What did she look like? What kind of ears did she have? How big is she? Could she see you too?” Then, in that moment, he realized that she had used a pronoun, and he was now using it too. “It’s a girl?” he breathed.

Kagome nodded, smiling.

Inuyasha let out a whoop and hugged his mate as tight as he dared. “A girl! A cute little girl pup with little pup ears?” He whooped again; Kagome nodded and giggled. “Have you told the others?” he asked.

“Not even my mother,” she replied immediately.

“A girl…” he sighed. “Do we know anything about having girl pups?”

“Not much,” she said. “We’ll figure it out.”

“I hope she looks just like you,” he said, kissing her softly. He pulled back. “I really am sorry, ‘Gome. Really.”

“I know you are,” she answered. “It’s just that…” she twisted her hands together nervously.

“Just what, koi?” he asked in a gentle voice.

“If this was a vision during the day, one that is most likely real, one that we can easily confirm, then…”

“…you think the other visions were all real, too,” he finished for her.

Kagome nodded fearfully, tears welling up again.

“Inuyasha,” she said, tugging at him when he didn’t respond. “What do you think it all means?”

“That’s why you wanted to talk to my brother,” he said tonelessly. “You wanted his opinion on that matter.”

“I did,” she said. “But I want yours, too, Inuyasha. I want to know what you think.”

“I think it’s fucking bullshit and we should ignore it,” he told her. “Whatever’s going on with you, it’s gotta be related to the hormones. Something is making you see this. Once the pup is born, it’ll all go away.” She opened her mouth to reply, but he kept going. “I’m not saying it’s not true; I’m saying that something has triggered this ability, and hopefully it will go away after the pup comes. Until then, we’ll deal with this together, I promise.” He took her hands in his. “I’ve been a bastard, but I’m not going to let you down, okay?”

She nodded slowly, leaning her forehead against his. “Okay.”

He kissed the tip of her nose, then pulled away, rubbing her hands with his. “In the meantime,” he added, “no more training. I mean it, mate,” he added when he saw the anger and surprise on her face. “We’ve already gotta deal with these dreams at night. Let’s not do anything to push you during the day. I want you home and quiet and resting. I don’t care if I have to hire a whole goddamn troop of kitsune to keep you entertained. Your mind needs to rest itself so it can focus on caring for the pup. Please, Kagome,” he finished. “Please. Don’t put yourself or the pup in any danger. Let’s keep it nice and calm for the next few months. Okay?”

Kagome saw the pleading look in his eyes that she’d always found so hard to resist. He rarely asked anything so drastic of her; it was hard to say no.

“You win,” she conceded. “Nothing but school and quiet until the pup is born.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has Inuyasha finally come to terms with Kagome's visions? Will Kagome be able to sit tight until the pup is born? Find out in the next updates, and as always, thanks SO much for reading! <3


	41. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome start college. Sesshomaru and family plan a surprise for Inuyasha and Kagome. Inuyasha has a revelation about his brother, and about his mate. Inuyasha takes care of Kagome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime and/or manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello all! I hope that wherever you are, you are staying safe and well. 
> 
> Thanks so much for your recent comments, especially on the last chapter! That was one challenging to write, but I'm glad that you enjoyed Sesshomaru with a heart <3 Fluffy Sess continues here ^_^
> 
> There is also some lemony goodness for our favorite hanyou and miko at the end of the chapter. Please enjoy!

Okay, so when Kagome had agreed to Inuyasha’s request that she rest and relax before the pup was born, she’d had no idea how absolutely fucking impossible that would be. At first, anyway.

And she also hadn’t been prepared for how much she looked forward to going to her classes at Tokyo U. She loved it. The semester began in April, and she and Inuyasha attended the opening ceremony together. She loved seeing him next to her on a college campus; it felt very romantic and like they were in one of those trashy romance manga she’d seen Rin hiding around the manor. She knew that she was the talk of her classes; by this point she was pretty obviously pregnant, and from the way Inuyasha hung around her, and from their rings, it was also pretty obvious that he was her husband and the pup’s father. More than one professor gave her a surprised look the first day of classes when they took attendance, Inuyasha holding his wife’s hand, but Kagome didn’t care. They’d done nothing wrong. Everything was legal, and they were in love.

Her classes were also great. She and Inuyasha took most of their classes together; it was the easiest way to get to and from school together. Plus, if something happened and she had the pup early, he would be able to notify her teachers. They had History of Japanese Government, English 201 (having both placed into intermediate English, thanks to Hideaki’s idea of being conversation partners), World History to 1700, and their writing course together. Then, while Inuyasha was in Intro to Accounting, Kagome took her early Japanese Literature class. They were on campus four days a week, with Fridays reserved for Inuyasha’s training and his time at the driving camp Sesshomaru had agreed to pay for (in order to speed up his getting 30 hours of driving time, he was also attending driving camp on Saturday mornings, before training). Kagome, meanwhile, had found an unusual babysitter for those days.

When Suzuki-sensei heard that Kagome was planning to sit in on kyudo practice, she had accompanied her former student to the Tokyo U dojo, eager to talk to Moriyama-sensei, who was apparently an old friend. The two kyudo coaches had a lovely reunion, and then Moriyama-sensei invited Kagome and Suzuki-sensei to stay to watch practice. Suzuki-sensei and Kagome chatted quietly the entire time, mapping out strategies for what Kagome would need to work on when she returned to the team in January. When Kagome had asked about Suzuki-sensei’s own kyudo practice, Suzuki-sensei had brushed it off, saying that it was only one day, and that the kyudokas could handle having a day off. Kagome felt guilty, but only a little. Truth be told, she missed Suzuki-sensei’s gruffness.

Then, when Suzuki-sensei heard Kagome was puttering around the house alone on Fridays, she offered to come and spend a few hours with her during the day. There weren’t usually practices on Friday, to give the kyudokas time to rest their bodies before weekend meets. Suzuki-sensei’s school day ended a little earlier because there were no gym classes in the late periods of the day, and around 2:30 or so she would show up at the shrine cottage, ready to spend a little time with her secretly favorite student. On Fridays, Kagome would (also secretly) fit in a little meditation in the morning—without caressing her pup with her aura, of course—then take a nap, and around 2:00 or so she would begin to get together a tea service. By the time Suzuki-sensei showed up, there would be a full tea prepared, complete with treats and lovely place settings. It gave Kagome something to do, and it gave Suzuki-sensei a friend to talk to. And how they talked.

During these afternoons together, Kagome learned a lot about Suzuki-sensei. She learned that her former coach had been abandoned at birth by her mother, and that both her parents were dead. She had been adopted, but never really felt like she fit in, until her adopted sister introduced her to kyudo. She immediately embraced it.

“It became the one constant in my life,” Suzuki-sensei told Kagome one afternoon. “It enabled me to go to college, and it was my way out. It saved me, in many ways.”

Kagome knew exactly what she meant.

Kagome, in turn, was slightly evasive when it came to Suzuki-sensei’s questioning of Kagome’s high school attendance record, prior to her last year, anyway. Kagome admitted that she wasn’t really sick, instead opting to cite caring for a relative instead, which wasn’t _exactly_ a lie, since Inuyasha was now family.

“My mother and grandfather thought that the school wouldn’t approve of me being a caregiver,” Kagome said, “so they came up with the sickness excuses. It probably wasn’t the best idea, looking back, but it worked for us.”

“And you did graduate,” Suzuki-sensei pointed out.

“I did,” said Kagome with a smile.

Sometimes on these Friday afternoons, Mrs. Higurashi would come to the shrine cottage to have tea with the two young women, and then the three of them would make small talk and focus a lot on Kagome’s condition and the pup. Kagome had elected not to tell anyone about the pup being a girl; she kind of liked it being a secret between just Inuyasha and her.

On the Fridays where Suzuki-sensei couldn’t make visit, Kagome enjoyed the peace and quiet of the day. She and her mother took walks; she caught up on homework; she watched television; she slept. All these things were important to her self-care, because once the baby arrived, she wouldn’t be able to do any of it.

Kagome also enjoyed cooking a small dinner for Inuyasha for when he returned from the manor. She often made him a simple ramen dish, but enough for him to have as many helpings as he wanted; if he had sparred for a particularly long time with his nieces, he might have four or five bowls. Kagome didn’t care. As she hit seven, then eight, months pregnant, she went into a violent nesting phase, cleaning everything and cooking copious amounts of food. Whatever she and Inuyasha didn’t eat, she froze, saving it for a day she didn’t feel like cooking. After dinner they would often just lay in bed, talking about their days. Inuyasha would rub her feet gently, and they would practice Kagome’s labor breathing and visualization techniques. She would drift off to sleep, and he would read her birthing books, making strangled sounds at the labor and delivery process, praying Kagome was sleeping deeply enough not to hear him. He knew that the pup was coming soon, and he needed to be ready, so he’d do whatever it took to prepare. Even if it shocked him to no end. The admiration and love he felt for Kagome had always existed, but now that he knew what she was going through—the physical, psychological, and emotional changes—and what she would go through with labor and delivery—his admiration and love soared beyond anything he’d ever thought possible. They had made this new life together, but Kagome was doing all the work, and he meant to make it up to her, as much as he could.

The dreams had subsided somewhat as the pregnancy progressed; Kagome was still having visions, but they were becoming more varied. She still dreamed of Kikyo and Onigumo, and woke in icy sweats, gasping for air. Inuyasha could only hold her close during those times, whispering that he loved her and other sweet words of comfort. Sometimes it worked; sometimes she was so worked up he would take her into the kitchen, make her some decaffeinated tea, and they would sit and talk quietly for awhile, Inuyasha rubbing her hands gently, until she calmed down enough to go back to sleep. She still never told him what happened during those dreams, and he respected her privacy. He knew enough. If something more were to happen that he needed to know, she would tell him. He trusted her.

On the other hand, Kagome was also having more frequent dreams about the pup. She was growing by leaps and bounds; her hair was coming in, and she had opened her eyes in the womb. And they were a beautiful brown with gold flecks. Kagome was thrilled; she was giving birth to a mini dark-version of Inuyasha, one with dark hair and dark ears and brown-gold eyes. There was still a little time left, but Kagome just _knew_ their pup was going to be perfect.

One Sunday morning Rin phoned Kagome to let her know that they would be coming to the shrine cottage for supper, but not to worry about cooking; she had a surprise for them and would also bring takeout. That sounds _amazing_ to Kagome, who’d spent the morning cleaning the kitchen for the fourth time in five days, but yet had no desire to cook anything in it. Her aversion to raw meat was mysteriously back, and she couldn’t even look at it without gagging.

Promptly at noon there was a sharp knock at the cottage door screen. Kagome and Inuyasha were resting on the couch; he sat with his back up against the arm of the chair, and she lay nestled against his back, his arms wrapped around her, his hands resting lightly on her belly. Lately he and the pup had taken to playing a little game; she would press into his hand, and he would press back. They spent hours at this; Kagome had gotten so used to it at this point that she would doze off, her head resting against his shoulder, and he and the pup would continue their game. Even now she was sleeping, snoring lightly, her face nuzzled into his chest. He didn’t dare get up, so he whipped out his phone and messaged his brother.

_Mate sleeping. Come back later?_

Sesshomaru’s reply was textbook.

_Ridiculous, little brother. We will be quiet._

And with that, the door opened, and in snuck Rin, Sesshomaru, Asuka, Hideaki, and Sayua, all carrying various size boxes. They saw Kagome sleeping and stopped in the genkan, frozen.

Finally, Asuka mouthed, “where can we put _this_?” and gestured to all their boxes. Inuyasha held up a finger as though to say “wait,” and got out his phone again.

 _Pup’s room is down the hall next to ours_ , he texted his niece. She gave him a thumbs up and motioned for everyone to follow her. Smirking slightly, Inuyasha snuggled down deeper behind his mate, inhaling her delicious scent that had become even sweeter as it mixed with the pup’s. He also gradually drifted off, the pup still anxiously nudging his hand, wanting her father to keep playing.

* * *

“Auntie,” came a small whisper in Kagome’s ear. She grumbled and waved her hand, hitting flesh with a loud smack.

“Fucking hell, that hurt!” the voice hissed.

“Maybe don’t get so close to her ear, Sister,” whispered another voice loudly.

“Nieces?” groused Inuyasha. “What the fuck?” He moved his hands off of Kagome’s belly and ran his hands through his hair and eyes. Kagome groaned and shook her head. She opened her eyes to see her nieces standing side by side, grinning jubilantly.

“Come on, Auntie,” said Sayua, pulling Kagome to her feet, both of them groaning. Kagome felt like her knees were going to crack into a million pieces. Inuyasha gave her back a gentle shove to help her up.

“Pregnancy sucks,” Kagome muttered.

Asuka laughed. “Only a few more weeks, Auntie. We want that pup to cook for as long as it can.”

“But not too long,” Kagome replied, yanking Inuyasha to his feet and snuggling into his side. “I don’t want this pup in me forever.”

“And just why are we awake, little girls?” Inuyasha demanded. “My mate hasn’t been getting a lot of sleep at night—the pup’s been keeping her up.” _So have her dreams_ , he added silently.

“We have a surprise for you both, Uncle,” Sayua said, awfully bouncy for the Lord of the East. “Our Lady Mother sent us to get you.”

“And no one refuses Mother, you know,” Asuka added.

“Come on, wife,” said Inuyasha gently. “Let’s go see what our sister-in-law has planned.” Kagome blushed, but squeezed his hand.

Asuka and Sayua led them down the hall towards the bedrooms. The door to the pup’s room was closed. Asuka held Kagome’s other hand while Sayua slid open the shoji screen. Kagome gasped, and promptly burst into tears. Even Inuyasha felt choked up.

His family had decorated the nursery.

Clearly Rin had been in charge: the room was gorgeous. Inuyasha and Hideaki and Souta had already painted the room a light gray a few weeks ago. Now, Hideaki stood next to a beautiful white crib that had the mattress set at the highest level. A quilt with different shades of gray hung over the side, and a mobile of white dogs hung over the crib. An overstuffed gray recliner with white fluffy pillows sat in one corner, and a white dresser and changing table were on the wall across from the crib. A small white bookcase was next to the rocking chair; it was chock full of books.

Rin, Hideaki, and a bored Sesshomaru stood in the room, waiting anxiously for their response.

Kagome just sobbed and sobbed, hiding her face in Inuyasha’s shirt. Inuyasha gulped and patted his mate’s back awkwardly.

“You guys,” Inuyasha said uncomfortably. _Fuck_. He hated being the one who would express their feelings and thanks, but given the current state of his mate, he knew he’d have to suck it up and say something intelligible. “Thanks,” he mumbled, embarrassed by his inability to express anything more.

Rin came forward and grasped Kagome’s hand, pulling her away from Inuyasha. “Come see, Kagome-chan,” she said excitedly. “This is no time for tears. Let me show you what we’ve done.”

Inuyasha went and stood awkwardly beside his brother while Rin showed Kagome the clothes in the drawers, the books on the shelves, and the stuffed animals scattered about the room. Kagome oohed and aahed over everything, tears still slipping from her eyes; Sayua and Asuka then pointed her to the beautiful wall hanging over the crib. It was a white silk hanging, with the family crest painted on it: deep purple wisteria winding around a glorious red and gold sun.

“This is too much,” she said, openly weeping again. “I can’t believe you did all of this for us.”

Rin went to Kagome and gave her a deep, loving hug. “We can’t wait for this pup to be here, Kagome-chan. We love you, and we love your mate—however much he scowls and swears—” Kagome choked out a laugh and Inuyasha scowled, as if to prove her point, “—and we will love this pup. It will be part of this family, Kagome-chan.” Rin pulled back and rested her hands on Kagome’s cheeks. “It will be part of you, of Inuyasha-otou-sama, and of all of us.”

Kagome returned Rin’s hug. “I can’t tell you how much this means to me, Rin-onee-chan. Thank you for taking such good care of us.” Her hands moved from Rin and came to rest on her large, round belly. “For taking care of all of us,” she added softly.

Rin patted Kagome’s hands on her belly. “Come,” she said warmly, “let’s go eat.” She took Kagome by the hand, and nodded at Hideaki and her daughters to follow. Asuka leapt to follow her mother, while Sayua and Hideaki followed more leisurely, their arms around each other. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were left alone in the nursery. Sesshomaru leaned against the crib, looking bored, while Inuyasha nervously picked at his claws. They stood there for several minutes, saying nothing, before Inuyasha plucked up the nerve to speak first.

“Sess?” Inuyasha asked. Sesshomaru continued to appear bored, although his golden eyes made their way over to his brother’s eyes, which were equally glowing bright amber.

Inuyasha bowed his head to his brother. “This one would like to thank you. For everything.” Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow in either interest or surprise. Inuyasha continued speaking. “Since we’ve been here, you’ve taken such good care of us, and I’ve given you a lot of shit.” Sesshomaru continued to gaze at his brother evenly. “I’ve never stopped to really say thank you. So…thank you,” Inuyasha finished lamely.

Sesshomaru sighed. “Is this all, little brother?” he asked.

Now Inuyasha was confused. “Is this all what?”

“All you have to say.”

“Um—yes?” _What the fuck else does he want from me?_

Sesshomaru moved towards the door. “That is acceptable.” He turned to his brother. “You _have_ given this Sesshomaru plenty of…problems…since you arrived here.” He paused. “However,” he added, a flicker of a smile playing across his lovely, serene face, “you have proven yourself a worthy ally. So, thank you.” And he left the room.

Inuyasha stood stock-still, shock radiating through his body. His brother had just… _thanked him_? Was the world coming to an end?

He sank to the floor, leaning up against the crib, resting his head in his hands, pulling at his long, silver hair. The last year flashed through his mind: the well closing, his relationship with Kagome, the pup, his role as Prince of the West. There, at the center of it all, was Sesshomaru.

His brother _had_ done so much for him, way more than he ever asked for or, quite frankly, expected. He thought back to the conversation he'd had with Sayua about Sesshomaru's changing countenance. At the time, there was just an inkling in Inuyasha's heart that suggested he should allow his brother in more fully. But now he was positive: Sesshomaru had changed, too. The icy Lord of the West had grown a heart. He’d shown deep affection for Kagome, even going so far as to comfort her when she’d been too afraid to tell Inuyasha about her visions. He growled to himself, thinking about how hurt he’d been that Kagome didn’t have the ability to tell him how much she was hurting. Instead, she’d gone to his brother, who had not only listened to her, but had done so with compassion and care. He thought of the day that Kagome had finally revealed the terror she’d been living almost every night, and how Sesshomaru had held her and comforted her, how he’d been the one to convince her that Inuyasha could, in fact, be trusted to not lose his shit. And he hadn’t wanted to admit it at the time, but it had been his brother’s presence that kept him from going completely feral. His brother helped him stay calm, and helped him care for his mate.

 _He has been helping me learn to be an alpha_ , Inuyasha realized.

All along, through everything Sesshomaru had done for him…it was all to train him to be an alpha, a leader, and above all, to be Sesshomaru's heir. To learn to be strong, and to keep his emotions in check. Inuyasha felt a rush of warm feelings in the pit of his stomach towards Sesshomaru. It was respect, yes. Gratitude? Yes. But those words didn’t quite describe the feeling. Could it also be…love?

“Inuyasha?” came a tentative voice from the doorway. It was Kagome. She stood awkwardly in the doorway, her belly looking huge from his angle on the floor. Her hair was tied up messily in a bun; her deep brown eyes drowsy from lack of sleep; her cheeks flushed with the effort of moving, even a little bit. But her face shone with love and concern. All for him.

It was like he was seeing her for the first time in a long time.

In a flash he was up and across the room. The instinct to protect and care for her had never been stronger. How had he not seen her worry for him before? How had he missed it? He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close, feeling her swollen belly tight between them.

“Are…you…okay, anata?” she asked him timidly. He could smell the worry radiating off her.

He buried his face in her hair, breathing deeply. Her hands, still tiny but now slightly swollen from the pregnancy, wrapped around his neck, pulling his face down to hers. “You have to tell me if something’s wrong, Inuyasha,” she said. “Please.”

He positively whined at the plaintive plea in her tone, and gently kissed her lips. She moaned slightly, and her scent shifted from worry to arousal, which shifted _his_ attentions to something else. “I’m fine,” he said huskily. “Everything is great.” She pulled back and her eyes narrowed slightly. “Really,” he reassured her. “I was just thinking…about my brother.” _Way to kill the mood, asshole_ , he thought to himself.

She frowned slightly. “Sesshomaru?” Her voice was confused.

Fuck, they were going to have to do this now, and get to other things later.

Inuyasha led her over to the cushy recliner and pulled her into his lap. He kissed her belly tenderly, and felt the pup kick back, recognizing her father’s youki. He chuckled, and ran his hand over his mate’s belly so the pup would know he was there.

“He’s just done a lot for us, mate,” he said. “I’m finally starting to think that maybe, yeah, he’s changed.”

Kagome snorted. “Of course he’s changed, mate. You haven’t noticed that? You’re more of a baka than I thought.” His ears flattened and he whined a little under her admonishment.

Upon seeing his reaction, Kagome’s countenance softened. “I just mean that he’s a husband and a father. That changes a person. It has to. It’s changed you, hasn’t it?”

“Keh.”

“Just give him more of a chance, Inuyasha,” she cajoled him softly. “You might be surprised at what you get in return.”

“Keh.”

Kagome rolled her eyes, then winced as the pup tried to get into her rib cage. “Down, girl!” she said wearily, massaging the pup back down. 

Once the pup was settled, she turned back to Inuyasha. He wasn’t the only one with a lot on his mind.

“What is it ‘Gome?” Inuyasha asked her, rubbing her belly to try and help the pup relax.

“I have something to talk to you about,” she said hesitatingly.

He pushed back in the chair and crossed his arms. “Out with it, mate.”

“Okay.” She took a deep breath. “How would you feel about asking Sesshomaru and Rin to be our pup’s guardians? In case something…” she couldn’t finish the sentence. He knew what she meant.

He scoffed. “Obviously.” His weak attempt at humor sort of worked, as she managed a weak smile.

“Really?”

He gave her a fanged smile. “Really.”

She grinned back and kissed him again. “You have changed, anata.”

“Keh.”

* * *

Inuyasha could not wait for his family to get the fuck out of his house. His nieces were obviously aware of his arousal and discomfort, and kept making snide remarks and smirking at him until he was going to kick both their asses, no matter their station. Sayua would occasionally murmur something to the monk, they’d both look at him, and then break out into peals of laughter, Inuyasha glaring at them, positively murderous. Sesshomaru chose to ignore his daughters’ poor behavior, which suggested to Inuyasha that perhaps his brother hadn’t changed as much as Kagome thought.

Rin, at least, had been delighted when Kagome asked her and Sesshomaru to be the pup’s guardians. Kagome suspected that Rin wanted another baby, but Sesshomaru’s concerns for her health were trumping her desires to grow their family. Kagome was fine with providing her a distraction, and possibly providing Sesshomaru with the opportunity to see that it might be okay to have another pup.

At last, at long last, their family left, and they were alone.

“All right, wife?” Inuyasha asked her as she stood at the sink, washing up the remainder of the dishes.

“All right, husband,” Kagome replied with a grin. He came and stood beside her, taking the sponge from her and proceeding to soap up the next dish.

“You don’t have to do that, you know,” she said.

“I know,” he answered. He kissed her forehead. “You go rest. I’ll finish up.”

She smiled and went to the bathroom to rinse off and try to relax. It was hard to get in and out of the tub now, so she resigned herself to settling on the bathing stool and showering, allowing her the water to run over her body.

She sighed, looking down at herself. Her belly was _so_ huge and swollen, the skin stretched tight over her uterus, where the pup was currently resting comfortably, possibly asleep. She felt massive. Even though she’d only gained about 25 pounds during the pregnancy, the extra weight, and where it was (her belly, her breasts, her thighs) made her feel so ugly and unlovable. She leaned forward as best she could and shook her hair, rinsing it thoroughly. She grunted as she struggled to get to all of her hair. She couldn’t wait to get this damn pup out so she could be back in control of her own body again.

“Need some help?” came a husky voice from the doorway.

Kagome whipped her hair up and out of her face. “Inuyasha!” The showerhead clattered to the ground. She tried to cover herself, but there was nowhere to go. She and her huge, huge belly and swollen breasts and hands and feet were on full display.

Inuyasha entered the bathroom and knelt in front of her, moving her hands aside. “Koi, how many times do I have to tell you?” he asked tenderly. He kissed her belly, starting at one side, and moving across to the other. He rested his chin gently on it, blinking at her with his amber eyes that glowed in the darkly lit room. “You are officially the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

She turned her head away. “Not looking like this I’m not.”

He rose up on his knees and leaned over her belly to press his face between her breasts, kissing the valley between them softly. “To me, you are. And I’m the lucky bastard who got to pup you and watch you become even more beautiful every day. You’ve done such an amazing job growing our pup.” He nuzzled one breast, then the other. Kagome keened quietly; it had been so long since she’d let him touch her like this, and now everything was so sensitive, it felt like she could orgasm in an instant if he so much as laid his tongue anywhere on her body.

“Inuyasha,” she breathed.

He chuckled. “Here, mate,” he said softly, “let me wash you.”

“You’ll get all wet,” she said diplomatically.

“That’s kind of the point,” he replied easily, standing up. He lifted his shirt over his head and then unzipped his jeans. He was totally nude underneath; Kagome had forgotten that he hated underwear and only wore it when absolutely necessary. Over eight months pregnant with his pup, and she still blushed. He was _so_ handsome, and he was making her incredibly hot for him.

“You’re not the lucky one, anata,” she said quietly, reaching out to run her hands over his strong chest. “That would be me.”

“We’ll call it even then, mate,” he said gruffly. “I believe I owe you a shower.” Her eyes grew wide as he took the shower head and got up to stand behind her. He turned on the spray and ran the water over her head, running his hand through her hair. She turned her head this way and that under his touch, allowing him to thoroughly wet her head. He turned off the shower nozzle and lathered up his hands with her shampoo, then massaged his hands gently into her scalp. She sighed and leaned into his touch, letting his claws gently scratch all over. When he was satisfied, he turned on the shower head again and ran it over her hair, spraying the water with one hand, running his other hand through her hair to make sure all the soap had been rinsed out. He set aside the shower head again and poured some conditioner into his hands, then massaged that all over her head, slowing working out any knots in her hair as he went.

“All right, ‘Gome?” he asked gently, as she closed her eyes and moved her head sensually with his hand. She hummed in response, and then popped her eyes open when he broke contact.

“Yash,” she breathed, “what are you doing?”

“Gonna let the conditioner set,” he grumbled, more to himself than to her. He next picked up her favorite body wash and squeezed it into his hands.

“You need a sponge to do that, Yash,” she said, still breathy.  
  
He grunted and soaped up his hands, ignoring her. He instead ran his soapy hands down her back, tweaking the muscles as he went, making her breath hitch. He ran his hands over her ass, then forward over her thighs, feeling under her belly to reach between her legs and massage the tiny bundle of nerves there. She gasped. He smirked and kept one hand there while the other began to slowly soap her belly, running his hand delicately over her stretched and swollen skin. He removed both hands, squeezed out more soap, then still from behind her, reached around to her front. His hands ran lightly over her breasts in small circles, coming to rest over her nipples, his claws pulling on them slightly, making her moan his name. He then moved his mouth to her back, leaving kisses and nips from her shoulder blade, up to her mating mark, which he sucked on and she breathed out his name again more desperately. He continued, massaging her breasts, now running the pads of his fingers over her nipples, and nipping at her neck, until he felt her going limp from his ministrations.

“Inuyasha,” she whispered.

“What is it, koi?” he asked roughly, giving her nipples another tug, causing her to moan with desire. Her arousal was slowly driving him insane.

“Are you sure?”

He turned on the shower head and rinsed the soap off her body and her hair, ignoring her. 

“Inuyasha?”

He grabbed a fluffy white towel from the hanger and wrapped it around her, then got a second, smaller towel and wrapped up her hair. He helped her to stand, and tilted her chin so she was looking him in the face. She was flushed from the heat of the water and from his touch and from being full of his pup. He almost couldn’t take it. His cock was straining for release.

“Let’s go,” he said shortly, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the bedroom. She followed him, still weakly protesting and questioning his motives.

When they reached the bedroom, he positioned her so she was sitting on the edge of the bed facing him. It was all he could do not to tackle her and kiss the shit out of her. Instead, he pressed his lips to hers, long and hard, nipping at her lips until she granted him access to her mouth, which he took greedily, running his tongue along the interiors of her wet, hot mouth until she groaned. His hands roamed over her body: over her large, supple breasts, down her arms, tickling her sides, and at last, under her belly and into her folds, where he found her wet and waiting for him. He delicately slipped one finger, then another, inside of her, continuing to kiss her as she keened and then pushed his face down to her breasts. He held one in his hand, kissing it languidly, turning her nipple around in his mouth, enjoying feeling the wetness between her legs spread.

“Inuyasha,” she whispered. “Please.”

“Please what, koi?” he asked back, adding a third finger to his thrusts.

She threw her head back and her breasts heaved. “You have to get inside of me.” She raised her head and drew him into her gaze. “Now.”

Both quickly and tenderly he laid her on her left side and propped a pillow between her legs, and another under her belly. He laid behind her; she lifted her right leg a little higher to grant him easier access. He lined his cock up with her entrance, then pushed in. They both gasped at the friction; it’s hard to have sex as often as one would like when one partner is dreaming about the other’s dead first love, so the moments where they were able to come together felt almost like the first time. Inuyasha took deep breaths as he felt her roll her hips in line with his thrusts; from this position, he felt so close to her, even from behind. They were molded together: they were one person. He buried his face in her neck as he moved behind her, hitching her right leg up to give himself a little more depth.

“Fuck, ‘Gome,” he whispered against her ear, giving it a little bite and enjoying the shiver he got in return, “fucking you when you’re pupped might be my favorite of all.”

“ _Inuyasha_ ,” she moaned breathily, and her walls shuddered around him. She couldn’t help it; she couldn’t believe he had just told her that! She reached between them and felt him moving in and out of her; she massaged his balls and felt him quake and breathe out sharply in response.

“Watch it, mate,” he hissed, “or you’re gonna bring this to a quick end.”

She grinned through her heavy breaths and gave him a light tickle, followed a quick squeeze.

“Fuck!” he roared, and started to move even faster, reaching forward and slapping her hand out of the way so he could massage her bundle of nerves. She let out a sound that was somewhere between a giggle and a moan, and then gripped the mattress and hissed out his name as she came. He roared again and followed quickly with his own climax, and then collapsed behind her, drawing her in close.

They lay like that together for several minutes, Inuyasha still sheathed within her, enjoying the feeling of being together. Kagome closed her eyes and pulled him closer to her, feeling one hand wrap around her breasts, and the other supporting her underneath her belly. Inuyasha’s fanged grin was lazy and lopsided; he felt sated, happy, and secure.

“You’re right,” she whispered as she dozed off peacefully, “sex when I’m pupped _is_ the best.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Inuyasha goes for his driving test? How will he do? Will the fancy driving school Sesshomaru is paying for help him pass? Or will his temper get the best of him? Stay tuned for the next update, and stay well, everyone! Thanks again for reading <3


	42. It's Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha takes his driving test, and an unexpected guest drops in. Kagome has another disturbing vision, which leads to another event that is a surprise, but not unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime/manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello all! Wherever you are, I hope you are safe and all, and maintaining your social distancing.
> 
> First, I want to say THANK YOU for all the feedback I've gotten on the character development, especially Sesshomaru, who I have really loved writing. You'll get to see more of a fluffy Sess in upcoming chapters! 
> 
> Second, there's lots of fun stuff happening in this chapter: fluff, angst, and excitement! Overall, this story has been a true joy to write, and I am so thrilled to get to share it with all of you <3

Inuyasha and Kagome sat at the licensing center, hand in hand.

The day had come. Inuyasha was taking the test for his driver’s license.

Inuyasha had to admit: he was eternally grateful that his bastard brother had paid way too much money for the stupid driving camp that took him eight weeks to complete. He could only go two hours a day, and he only had time to go twice a week, so completing his 30 hours of the practical part of the driving test had taken forever. (He had also failed the written portion twice, but he didn’t dare tell _anyone_ that.) The driving camp had been agony. His sensei was a little old man who wore too much cologne and made Inuyasha queasy. He’d been forced to drive a tiny Toyota that he barely fit into (Kagome had commented it was like a clown car, roaring with laughter). It was like one big comedy of errors.

At his last session, his sensei had insisted on showing him how to _check_ the fucking car—like he would be doing _that_ regularly! But he needed this license, so he allowed the old coot to show him around the car, and how to check the tire tread, the air pressure, and for obstructions. Then he’d made Inuyasha get into the car and start it and check the windshield wipers, the headlights, the break lights, the hazards…every goddamn thing in the car! But, it had made his sensei happy, so he was glad he did it. It was good practice for his actual exam, where checking the car should be the first thing Inuyasha did if he wanted to pass the test, according to his sensei.

Typically, people who went to driving camps didn’t need to take the practical exam. But, Sesshomaru had insisted that Inuyasha take the exam. Inuyasha secretly believed this was a way for his brother to get a little revenge. Even though they’d been getting along fairly well recently, Inuyasha would never put it past his brother to do something with the explicit purpose of making him miserable. And another test was exactly the perfect mode of torture. So was sitting in the licensing center all morning.

“Fujimura Inuyasha?” came the call from a tired-looking woman at a desk in the middle of the room. Inuyasha stood up and helped Kagome to her feet. Together they walked to the desk.

“Fujimura Inuyasha?” she said again. He nodded. She held out her hand. “Proper documentation?” Inuyasha handed her his birth certificate, a copy of the family register, and proof that he completed the written test and the practicum. She reviewed them both, pulled out a document, made some notes on it, and handed everything back to him. “Have a seat. When your name is called, proceed to Window 5. The gentleman there will take you out to the testing course.” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Good luck.”

Inuyasha nodded and took the papers from her; he and Kagome returned to their seats. “I wonder what that was about?” he asked.

“What?” she said.

“The woman looked at me funny when she wished me luck,” he said.

Kagome snorted. “That’s because almost no one passes on their first try, mate,” she said with a laugh. “She thinks you’re wasting your time and your money.”

Inuyasha grunted. “I’ll show her,” he said. Kagome laughed and rubbed his arm.

“You’ll do fine, anata,” she said, “I’m sure of it.”

Inuyasha rubbed his mate’s belly affectionately; the pup kicked back, sensing her father was nearby. “See?” Kagome said. “Even our daughter knows you got this.”

“Fujimura Inuyasha?” came the call. Several people looked up, wondering who had the unusual name. Inuyasha and Kagome went to Window 5, where another tired-looking woman sat behind the glass.

“Name?” she said in a bored tone.

“Fujimura Inuyasha,” Inuyasha said.

“Materials?” she asked.

Inuyasha handed her his documentation. She looked it over, then handed his birth certificate, his family register copy, and his completed testing materials back to him.

“Go this way,” she said, pointing to the right, “and around the corner. The door will take you outside, where you’ll wait to take the test. Your…” the women peered at them, unsure of their relationship.

“My wife,” Inuyasha supplied helpfully.

The woman peered at them more intensely, clearly disapproving of their age and the fact that Kagome was so obviously pregnant. Inuyasha growled softly; Kagome blushed under the woman’s gaze.

“Your… _wife_ …” the woman said it distastefully, “can wait here.”

Inuyasha turned to her, cupping her face in his hands. “Will you be okay here alone?”

Kagome nodded. “I brought some schoolwork, anata. I’ll be okay.”

He leaned forward and kissed her softly, purposefully, in front of that awful woman who dared to judge their relationship. “I’ll be back,” he whispered.

“You’re gonna kick ass, mate,” she whispered back.

He pulled her in close, enjoying the delight of her scent for one more moment. At last he let her go, winked at her, and left to follow the woman’s directions to the training course. Kagome turned to go back to the waiting area.

“Are you really sure you want to be married?” the woman asked after her. “You’re so young.”

Kagome nodded as she rubbed her belly and smiled. “It’s the best decision I ever made.”

Inuyasha heard her as he opened the door, and his chest swelled with pride. He’d married the most amazing woman in the entire fucking world.

* * *

Inuyasha sat in the backseat of another tiny Toyota, watching a young woman in the driver’s seat freak out over every little aspect of the driving test.

He at first had been confused when the assessor gestured that he get into the car, as the woman moved from the backseat to the front. But then he remembered that Kagome had warned him this could happen: drivers often took the test with the next test-taker in the backseat. Perhaps this was to throw off the test-taker; perhaps it was to help the next person see what to do (and what _not_ to do). But whatever the reason, Inuyasha tried to take it all in stride, and he actually found it amusing to watch the way that the young woman wilted and panicked under the assessor’s cool, venomous gaze.

The assessor, another tiny retired metro police officer wearing too much cologne ( _was this like a thing?_ ), made a series of tsk-ing sounds each time the woman turned the wheel. When she went to make a left turn, she didn’t get close enough to the curb; the man let out a loud sigh, shook his head, and jotted down some notes. The scent wafting off the woman was pure and complete terror; Inuyasha snickered softly to himself. He could predict everything she was going to do, and when she made a mistake, it was clear why. Her terror was causing her to fold in on herself; it was hard to even see her head above the steering wheel from the backseat.

At last, when they pulled back into the entryway to the course, the young woman let out a shuddering sigh. She and the assessor got out of the car; the assessor gestured to Inuyasha, and he climbed out of the backseat and into the front as the assessor spoke with the young woman. Inuyasha immediately scented the salt of her tears, and he smirked. No way in hell was he going to fail.

The car door opened behind him, and a familiar scent wafted into the front seat. Inuyasha growled and turned around.

“What the fuck are you doing here, you mangy wolf?”

Kouga chuckled. “The Lord of the West wants a witness to the Prince’s victory…” his eyes glinted in glee. “Or defeat. I couldn’t resist volunteering to ‘help.’”

“Keh,” replied Inuyasha. “you’re not going to throw me off my game, wolf.”

Kouga grinned. “We’ll see.”

The assessor came around to the passenger’s side, and opened the door. Before he did that, though, Inuyasha jumped out of the car. “Excuse me, sir,” he said politely, “I should check the car before we get going.”

The assessor looked at him in surprise. “Yes, Fujimura-san,” he said, “by all means.”

Inuyasha began carefully inspecting the car, making a big show of every step. He ran his fingers along the tread of the tires, checked the tire pressure, checked the body of the car for any dings or scratched, and checked his mirrors carefully. Then, he got into the car and turned it on. From there, he checked his headlights, his hazards, and his windshield wipers. He could hear Kouga snickering softly in the backseat, but he ignored his old rival, opting instead to turn to the assessor. “I’m ready when you are, sir,” he said politely.

The assessor grunted. “Drive to the end of the block and turn left, please,” he instructed.

Inuyasha slowly put the car in gear. Before letting go of the break, he looked in each of his mirrors, taking a moment to check each one carefully and making an affirmative sound when he was satisfied. He heard the wolf continue to snicker. At last, he released the brake and steered the car away from the curb and down the course. When he reached the end of the lane, he came to a slow stop and pulled all the way to the left, looking carefully both ways, and then making the left turn and pulling into the lane.

The assessor nodded to himself and jotted down some notes. “Make a right at the next turn,” he said, “and then we’ll practice parallel parking.”

“Yes sir,” Inuyasha replied. As he approached the turn he turned on his signal, slowing down to again check for cars and check his blind spots, and, saying “Mmmm,” to himself, he made the turn away from the main drag.

“Pull over up there,” said the assessor, “and then parallel park between the two cones.”

Inuyasha simply nodded; he was going to need to concentrate as much as he could. When he reached the cones, he pulled up so that he was even with where an imaginary car would be. He carefully checked each mirror and his blindspot, then put the car in reverse, ignoring Kouga’s quiet, shaking laughter.

“May I ask our guest in the back to please lower his head?” Inuyasha asked the assessor politely. “I need to see out the back window, and he has a rather large head.”

Kouga snorted angrily; but the assessor said, “of course. Hayashi-san, please move out of the way to allow Fujimura-san to do a proper backup.”

Kouga’s laughter turned to a scowl, but he did what he was told. Inuyasha carefully backed up, and when his front tire was in line with the cone, he started to cut the wheel as much and as fast as he could. The car began to turn, and the rear wheels cut sharply towards the curb. Inuyasha then deftly cut the wheel back the other way and evened out, pulling back into the spot fully; when the assessor opened the car door to see how close he was to the curb, Inuyasha could see the assessor’s surprise. He was only about five inches from the curb.

 _Take that, you old coot_ , he thought.

“Pull out of the spot, please, Fujimura-san,” said the assessor, furiously making notes on his clipboard, “and then proceed to the end of the road and make a three-point turn."

“Yes, sir,” said Inuyasha politely. He again checked all his mirrors, and this time, put on his blinker and checked again before pulling out of the spot. He could feel Kouga shaking with laughter again behind him. The stupid wolf! He had no idea what was needed to pass the test. That fancy driving school had prepared him well. Inuyasha couldn’t help but hide a smirk.

The only human in the car was clearly oblivious to the rivalry taking place between the front and back seat. He sat calmly in the passenger seat, staring straight ahead, watching everything Inuyasha was doing in the car. Inuyasha slowly pulled out of the spot and followed the assessor’s directions; he drove to the end of the lane, then, carefully checking his mirrors and making little affirmative sounds as he found no one around him, pulled to the right so he was perpendicular to the curb, then checked his mirrors again, again making affirmative sounds, and once he found no one nearby, he put the car in reverse and backed up, turning the wheel as he did so, and then, checking his mirrors one last time, he put the car in drive and completed the three-point-turn.

By this point Kouga was laughing so hard to himself that the whole car was shaking. As the assessor jotted down some notes before giving Inuyasha his next directions, Inuyasha commented coolly, “Hayashi-san, is everything okay? You are shaking like you might be ill.”

The assessor whipped his head around as Kouga instantly stilled his body. “Is Fujimura-san correct, Hayashi-san? Are you feeling all right?”

“I am fine, sir,” replied Kouga. When the assessor turned back around in his seat, Inuyasha saw Kouga shooting daggers at him through the rearview mirror. Inuyasha let out a smirk this time; he couldn’t help it.

“Let’s proceed back to the course start, Fujimura-san,” the assessor said, taking notes on his clipboard. “Make sure that you obey any traffic laws that you see.”

“Yes, sir,” Inuyasha said. He checked his mirrors again, and then carefully drove down the road, stopping at the stop sign and yielding when he had to merge with the main drag. All the while, he was fighting his youki to stay under control. It wanted to howl with glee; he was sure he had passed. He couldn’t help but notice Kouga in the back seat, sulking.

When they at last reached the course start, Inuyasha carefully put the car in park and removed his seat belt. “Thank you for the test today, sir,” he told the assessor politely. Kouga snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Yes, yes,” the assessor said. “Let’s take a look at your score.” He got out of the car and Inuyasha did the same. “Hayashi-san,” the assessor added, “you’re up next.”

Kouga’s eyes grew wide; clearly he hadn’t thought that far ahead with his plan.

Inuyasha and the assessor stood outside the car. The assessor showed Inuyasha his score: he had passed everything.

“You lost some points for your left turn because you weren’t quite close enough to the curb,” the assessor told him, “but overall, you did well. Your parallel parking was particularly excellent.” The assessor smiled widely. “I don’t get to say this very often but…congratulations, Fujimura-san. You passed on your first attempt.”

Inuyasha grinned and bowed low. “Thank you, sir. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without your careful guidance and directions.”

The assessor smiled and bowed back. “Congratulations again. Go get your license.”

“Thank you.” As the assessor went to get into the passenger side of the car, Inuyasha went up to the driver’s side, where Kouga was now sitting, and leaned down. Kouga rolled down the window.

“You can let my brother know I passed on the first try,” he said smugly. “I’ll be sure to tell Kagome that you say hello. I’ve gotta go pick her up from the waiting room.”

“Wait, Kagome’s here?” Kouga exclaimed, opening the car door so quickly Inuyasha had to back up. “I’ll come say hi.”

“Hayashi-san,” came the disdainful voice of the assessor from the passenger seat, “did you forget you have a test to take today, too?”

Kouga growled and dropped back into his seat, closing the door. “No, sir.”

“Good luck then, _Hayashi-san_ ,” Inuyasha chuckled as the car pulled away from the curb. He couldn’t wait to get home and take off this damn cloaking bracelet; his youki was chafing against it to be let free. The whole Kouga spying on him thing made the day a thousand times better, too.

He grinned. He couldn’t _wait_ to tell his mate all about the test.

* * *

“I can’t believe you passed on the first go!” Kagome exclaimed, throwing her arms around him, her straining belly coming between the two. Several people in the waiting room stared at the young, pregnant couple. Inuyasha grinned, for once not caring about anyone else’s gaze. “Let me see,” she said, holding out her hand for his license. Inuyasha handed it over to her. “You look handsome,” she sighed, looking it over. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. “What’s this on here? You got a moped license too?”

Inuyasha shrugged. “All I had to do was sit through a lecture. The motorcycle one I’ll have to do more driving school for, so it will have to wait until the pup is a little older.”

Kagome sighed. “Inuyasha,” she said. “Those are dangerous.”

“Keh,” he said. “Did you forget you’re married to a hanyou? I don’t break so easily.”

“I’m not a hanyou,” she pointed out.

“I’m used to going _fast_ , mate,” he said. “Sayua rides a motorcycle.”  
  
“I am not married to Sayua,” she replied saucily.

“I know you’re not, _mate_ ,” he answered her, leaning in for a devilish kiss. She closed her eyes and sighed as his lips met hers; he pulled away with a _pop_ , and she glared at him. He snickered. “Do you want some more where that came from?” At her blush he broke into full laughter. “You’ll have to wait until tonight.” Her face grew redder. How could he still make her blush after all this time? After whelping her? Kagome couldn’t figure that one out.

“Kagome,” said a familiar voice.

“Kouga!” Kagome said happily, rushing to him for a hug.

Inuyasha growled as Kouga embraced Kagome gently. “You look radiant,” Kouga said to her, holding her out so he could take her all in.

“Thank you,” she said bashfully.

“It’s the pup,” Inuyasha pointed out.

“Oh, mutt-face, you’re still here,” Kouga said offhandedly, not looking away from Kagome for a second.

“Why are you here, Kouga?” asked Kagome.

“The Lord of the West wanted someone to watch over his _little_ brother today,” Kouga said. “Make sure he passed. I volunteered.”

“I’m fucking sure you did,” Inuyasha grumbled.

“And since you did, miracle of miracles, in fact pass,” Kouga continued, ignoring Inuyasha’s grumblings, “I have been given further instructions.”

“Why are you doing Sesshomaru’s dirty work today, Kouga?” asked Kagome.

Kouga smirked. “If mutt-face here failed, I wanted a front-row seat.” He paused, his face softening. “And I was hoping you’d be here.”

Kagome smiled; Inuyasha growled; Kouga barked out a laugh.

“I thought you two were friends,” Kagome commented.

“Only insofar as we both care about you, Kagome,” Kouga replied fondly.

“So what are your instructions, Kouga?” asked Kagome a little too loudly, her hand on Inuyasha’s arm to keep him from attacking the Lord of the North.

Kouga continued to laugh. “You are too easy, mutt-face. You gotta relax a bit! You just got your license. Live a little!” He paused for a moment, catching his breath. When his face became serious again, he spoke. “The Lord of the West has asked you to meet him at a car dealership so you can pick out a car.”

Inuyasha stared at him, unblinking. “What—what did you say?” Kagome asked on his behalf.

Kouga chuckled. “We can’t have the Shikon no Tama no Miko go into labor and not have any way to get to the hospital,” he said, smiling at her. “Sesshomaru is taking care of it. The old kappa is outside waiting for you.”

“See, mate,” said Kagome to Inuyasha, “your brother _does_ have a heart, after all.”

“Keh,” he replied.

* * *

The dream started out the same: she was Kikyo, going to see Onigumo. But this time, Kagome had a feeling of dread, instead of a feeling of happiness. Maybe Kikyo had finally figured out Onigumo was the worst guy ever, and was going to break things off and run for the hills. A girl could hope.

When Kikyo got close to the river, to their usual meeting place, she became increasingly nervous. And afraid. Kagome tried not to let those feelings infect her too, but it was hard. Finally, there he was—Onigumo—standing at the river’s edge, handsome as ever in a navy blue kimono and black hakama. He turned when he saw Kikyo, and his face broke out into a smile. Kagome noticed that Kikyo did not return that smile.

Apparently Onigumo noticed too, because his face became concerned. “Kikyo,” he said when she reached him, “something is troubling you.”

“Yes,” Kikyo replied, twisting her hands in the sleeves of her kimono. “Something is troubling me.”

“Is it something I can help you with, koi?” he asked kindly. Kagome blanched.

“It’s not,” Kikyo said slowly. She looked up at Onigumo. Kagome could tell Kiyko was gathering her courage. “I’ve come to say goodbye. I’m going to be traveling for a while, and I don’t know when I will be back.”

Onigumo looked as though he’d been slapped hard across the face. “What do you mean, Kikyo?”

“I have to leave,” Kikyo repeated. “I don’t want to—I have to leave my sister, too—but I can’t stay. There’s a village that needs a healer and has sent word for me. I’ll be gone a few months.” She smiled sadly. “I am sorry, Onigumo. I unfortunately must go alone.” She reached up and touched his sleeve. He allowed her hand to remain there for several moments, then he covered it with his own.

“When you come back, will you still be mine?” he asked hoarsely.

She leaned forward and kissed him lightly. “Of course.”

He nodded once. “Then go. And please, hurry back. I am sure your sister will miss you greatly.” He paused for a beat. “As will I.” He pulled her into his embrace; she stayed there for a minute enjoying the feel of his arms around him. At last she pulled back.

“I am sorry I cannot stay long today,” she said, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. “I must pack, and take Kaede to the headman’s house. She will be staying with them while I am gone.”

“Of course,” he said. “I will keep an eye on your sister from afar to make sure she is all right.”

“I would appreciate that,” she replied.

They were both silent for a moment; Kikyo still within his embrace, neither seeming to know what to say or do.

 _Get the fuck out of there, Kikyo!_ Kagome screamed. _Take your chance_!

Kikyo blinked once. “Until next time, Onigumo,” she said. “I thank you for all the times we’ve spent together. I cannot tell you how much I truly enjoyed it.” She slipped from his grip and began to walk away.

“Wait, Kikyo!” called Onigumo. She turned and gazed at him, her cool brown eyes looking him up and down.”

“I—I love you,” he said. Kagome felt like she couldn’t breathe. Like really, really couldn’t breathe.

Even Kikyo had to pause at that one. “I will see you soon, Onigumo,” she said, not returning his declaration. “I promise.”

Onigumo hung his head as she retreated to the village. As she walked, Kikyo moved slowly, as though deep in thought. Kagome wished she could get into Kikyo’s head, that she wasn’t just privy to her movements and spoken words.

“There, there,” Kagome heard her murmur softly. She saw Kikyo run her hands over her belly. “It’s going to be all right,” Kikyo cooed. “I’m going to take good care of you.”

Holy. Shit.

 _Holyshitholyshitholyshitholyshit_.

* * *

Kagome woke up in a cold sweat, absolutely drenched. She was screaming; Inuyasha was running into the room with a towel to clean her up.

“Kagome,” he said worriedly, his face pale with concern, “what’s wrong? What happened?”

Kagome blinked. Her chest was heaving; her hands were clutching at her heart.

“Holy shit,” she breathed. She blinked again and looked at Inuyasha.

“Inuyasha…?” she said hesitantly.

“I’m here, koi,” he said quickly, pressing her face between his hands. “I’m here.”

She breathed out again, and breathed in slowly.

“What…where…what happened?” she asked blankly.

“You had a nightmare,” he said. “You were soaking wet. I ran to get you a towel.”

“Soaking…wet?” she said. She reached up and felt her face. “I don’t feel wet.” She ran her hands down her body. Then she felt it.

A giant gush, like she just released the most pee she’d ever let out in her life, but without any of the usual control. She knew immediately what was happening.

“I’m not sweating, anata,” she said, turning to grip his hand. “ _My water broke_.”

He stared at her, not understanding her words. “Your…water?”

She smiled tightly. “I’m going into labor. The pup is ready.”

He let out a shriek that was somewhere between joy and terror. “The pup!” He jumped to his feet. “What do you need?”

“Get me to the toilet,” she said, “in case I have another gush.” He helped her out of bed and to the toilet, where she sank down gratefully; she’d given up on underwear and pajama pants a while ago.

“Get those sheets off the bed, please," she said, making a face. "Then, please, call my mother, and then Rin and Asuka. Ask them all to come here. Then call Yoshida-san’s office to let her know it’s time. She wants me to labor at home until the contractions are five minutes apart, and then we have to go to the hospital. Okay?” He nodded. “I’m so glad you got your license, anata.”

He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. “We’ll be fine, mate.” He nuzzled her nose with his own. “Let me do all that, and pack you a bag. Anything special you want?”

“Nothing fancy. Just things that are comfortable and that we can throw away if need be.”

He leaned forward and kissed her again. “Consider it done.” He stood up and made to leave the room, pausing at the doorway. “You’re gonna do fine, koi, okay?”

Kagome nodded nervously. “Okay.”

_The pup! The pup was on her way!_

Instantly Kagome thought of all that she had read about labor, and if her stomach could have dropped, it would have. _Fuck_ , she thought.

Then she remembered her dream, and she dry heaved on the toilet, praying she wouldn’t throw anything up. _Fuck_ , she thought again. _How am I going to tell Inuyasha that Kikyo was pregnant with Onigumo’s baby?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Kagome tell Inuyasha about her latest vision? (Probably not, lol.) How will her labor and delivery go? How will Inuyasha cope with that? Stay tuned for the next update, and as always, thanks so much for reading, and please continue to review. I love hearing your comments <3


	43. Morika

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome has the pup, and she and Inuyasha begin adjusting to life as parents. Sesshomaru reveals his weakness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the other characters from the anime and/or manga. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello all! I hope that you are doing well and being safe, wherever you are :)
> 
> So this is it! Inuyasha and Kagome finally have their pup! I hope that you love her name as much as I do. I put some notes on the kanji at the end. 
> 
> I also wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all of you who have commented, left kudos, bookmarked this story, etc., from the beginning, all the way up to the last few days. Your feedback has been really helpful in my shaping of the text, and you've given me a few ideas for side projects, too -- which you may see in the coming days and weeks. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, and please enjoy!

Mrs. Higurashi drove a screaming Kagome and a terrified Inuyasha to the hospital in Inuyasha’s Honda Vezel. Kagome sat in the middle in the backseat, Inuysaha and Asuka each holding one of her hands, while Rin sat up the front with Kagome’s mother.

“Kagome, take deep breaths, have you forgotten your training?” asked Asuka a little impatiently. She and Inuyasha were going to go deaf if Kagome kept screaming; Asuka was sure of it.

“Fuck my training!” Kagome gritted out. Inuyasha and Asuka exchanged a glance over Kagome’s head. “Is this supposed to hurt this much?” she gasped to her mother and Rin.

“I’ve heard the pain is worse when it’s a hanyou,” Rin whispered.

“What?!” Kagome exclaimed. She rounded on Inuyasha. “You,” she sputtered. “You did this.”

“I’m pretty sure it takes two to 'do this',” chuckled Asuka. Inuyasha looked shell-shocked. He knew that he should have driven instead of sitting in the backseat with a quickly-losing-her-mind Kagome.

“Is Yoshida-san going to meet us at the hospital?” Mrs. Higurashi asked.

“She is,” Rin replied. “She’ll be waiting at the emergency room.”

“Good,” Mrs. Higurashi answered grimly, gripping the wheel with both hands and weaving deftly through the streets.

“Inuyasha-otou, are you timing her contractions?” Rin asked, clinging to the side of the car as Mrs. Higurashi picked up speed.

“I am, Mother,” replied Asuka. “Still holding steady at five minutes.” Kagome began to squeeze their hands as though she intended to break every bone. Inuyasha’s breath hitched at her strength. Asuka merely pulled out her phone and hit reset on the timer. “That’s another one,” she said calmly, ignoring the small human clutching her hand so tightly it was becoming mottled. Kagome sucked in her breath and tried not to screech from pain.

“We’re almost there, dear,” said Mrs. Higurashi, making a right turn and then another right turn.

“The hospital is right up here, Oba-sama,” said Rin, gesturing with her hands.

“My Lady,” said Mrs. Higurashi shortly, “we’re about to become even closer family. Don’t you think we can dispense with the formalities?”

“Never,” Rin said, laughing. “What’s left of decorum in the world if we aren’t respectful?”

“ _Moth-er!_ ” admonished Asuka.

“Inuyasha,” breathed Kagome.

Inuyasha was instantly at attention. “Yes, mate?”

Kagome’s face was pale and slightly green from the pain. “Let’s never do this again.”

Inuyasha tried really hard not to laugh. “Whatever you say, 'Gome.”

“We’re here,” said Mrs. Higurashi suddenly, turning into the hospital. She pulled up to the emergency entrance. Asuka and Inuyasha helped Kagome out of the car.

“I’ll go with Oba-sama to park,” said Rin. “I’ll also call your brother, Inuyasha-otou. I’m sure that he, Sayua, and Hideaki will want to get here soon.”

“Tell them to wait, please, Mother,” said Asuka. “Let’s wait until Auntie is ready to push.”

“Push?” asked Kagome weakly as Asuka and Inuyasha helped her into the emergency room.

“We’ll see you soon, dear,” called Mrs Higurashi from the car.

The hospital was new; one wall was a bright, gleaming waterfall decorated with greenery and lush flowers. The reception desk was crisp and clean, and the woman seated at the desk seemed to be expecting them. She produced a wheelchair, and Kagome sank into it gratefully, allowing Inuyasha to push her to the labor and delivery ward, Asuka close behind. When they got to labor and delivery, Yoshida-san was there to greet them; a tall, lovely, cow youkai, she exuded patience and care. It was clear why Asuka had recommended her.

Yoshida-san asked Asuka to wait in the family room; Asuka kissed Kagome on the cheek and squeezed her uncle’s arm before she left. Now alone, Yoshida-san led the way to a room where Kagome would deliver their pup.

The room was warm, with soft lighting, several chairs, and a hospital bed. Yoshida-san pulled the curtain so Inuyasha could help Kagome into a hospital gown, then Yoshida-san directed Inuyasha to help Kagome onto the bed. Two nurses came into the room and hooked her up to a monitor so they could track the contractions.

“I’m going to do a quick exam, okay, Kagome?” Yoshida-san said gently. Kagome gritted her teeth and nodded. Another contraction was coming. Kagome gripped Inuyasha’s hand; he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, but couldn’t say anything. He was paralyzed with fear for what was happening, and what was about to happen.

“ _Inuyasha_ ,” growled Kagome. He looked up at her. “If you’re not going to help me,” she said darkly, “then get the _fuck_ out of here.”

The nurses snickered, and Inuyasha’s face fell. She squeezed his hand really fucking tightly, and he looked at her, her face twisted in pain with the contraction. He needed to get his shit together. _NOW_. He took a deep breath.

“Close your eyes, mate,” he said quietly, rubbing her hand with one hand and gently pressing a finger to the space between her eyes with the other. “Think about your third eye. Draw yourself inward; think about a place that gives you peace and calm. Where are you?”

Kagome closed her eyes and took a sharp breath as the contraction hit its peak. “I’m with you at the Goshiboku,” she stammered. “We’re in the branches, hidden away from everyone. You’re in your fire-rat; you’ve pulled me close so that I’m buried within the fabric. It’s like our own little cocoon.”

“Nothing can hurt you there, koi,” he said softly. “Take a deep breath, and let it out slowly at my count.”

Kagome took a deep breath in, and Inuyasha counted slowly to eight as she exhaled. “Good girl,” he soothed. “Let’s do that again. Let’s take some deep breaths in the Goshiboku. Just you and me.”

Inuyasha continued to guide her through the visualization as Yoshida-san checked Kagome’s dilation. “She’s at seven centimeters, Fujimura-san,” the midwife told Inuyasha. “Do you think we can get her up and walking? That should help move things along.”

Inuyasha nudged Kagome. “Do you hear that, ‘Gome?” he asked. “Think you can walk?”

She nodded and opened her eyes. “Good girl,” he said again. He helped her off the table; Yoshida-san took her off the monitor.

“Just around the block once or twice, Fujimura-san,” directed Yoshida-san. “I don’t want you going too far in case things progress quickly. When you get back,” she added to Kagome, “we’ll do a little acupressure and massage to help you feel better, too.”

Kagome nodded and held onto Inuyasha as she tottered into the hallway. Inuyasha gently held her arm in return. On their way out of the room, he looked at the clock. 9:30 in the morning.

_It’s gonna be a long fucking day_ , he thought miserably.

* * *

It took about seven hours for Kagome to get to a point where she was able to push, and holy shit, if Inuyasha thought he was freaked out before when her water broke, that was _nothing_ compared to what he experienced in the delivery room. He’d slaughtered thousands of youkai during his lifetime, but nothing prepared him for the whole of childbirth. The fact that he could smell Kagome’s blood and her... _insides_...and her pain so clearly, and that he could feel everything she was experiencing through their bond…it was almost too much for him to handle. He kept his shit together, though, and held her hand the entire time, walking her through her visualizations, encouraging her to push when it was time…basically whatever the nurses told him to do, he did.

But Kagome? Kagome was a fucking goddess. She was a goddamn fucking warrior goddess and any thoughts he’d ever had about her being weak were thrown out the window when he saw what she went through to deliver the pup, and how she handled it all like a fucking warrior who put Sesshomaru to shame. She could do anything. _Anything_. And he would fight anyone who said otherwise.

And now the pup was here. And she was beautiful and perfect and Inuyasha was afraid to touch her for fear he’d break her. But Kagome, like the goddamn fucking warrior goddess that she was, simply cradled the pup in her arms and lifted the pup to her breast. And the pup suckled like a goddamn champ. Inuyasha was terrified of her, but his youki bristled with pride when it saw his mate and his pup together like that. They were like two little pieces of his heart that fit together perfectly. He didn’t know how he could ever live without either of them.

Once the pup was done nursing, Kagome had handed her off to him. And fuck, he really didn’t want to hold her, he really didn’t. He was so scared he would drop her or squeeze her too tightly or worse. But Kagome pulled him down to the bed next to her while Yoshida-san and the nurses were cleaning her up and placed the pup in his arms. Kagome sat beside him, gently directing him on how to hold the pup’s head up and how to hold her in the crook of his arm. They sat together, watching their pup sleep, in awe of what they had created. Together.

Once Kagome was cleaned up and the pup had been weighed and also cleaned, it was time to move them to a maternity room. Inuyasha handed the pup off to a nurse, who laid her in a plastic bassinet, and then helped Kagome out of the bed. And goddammit, she was actually able to walk after what she’d just been through! He couldn’t believe it. He helped her to the bathroom, where she had to prove she could pee, and then the nurse showed her a bunch of things about how to take care of herself, and then Inuyasha helped her put on soft squishy underthings that would protect her tender parts and continue to catch what the nurse called the lochia. Together they made their way to the wheelchair, where Kagome sat gingerly, and Inuyasha pushed her to their new room on the other side of the ward. The nurse followed with the pup, and attached baby bracelets to all three of them, as well as a baby monitor on the pup. Inuyasha growled when she did this, but the nurse (who was used to dealing with youkai, if not hanyou as much) patiently explained this was necessary to protect the pup from being switched or carried out of the hospital. Not that either of those scenarios was likely when the father was part inu youkai, but protocols are nothing if they are not followed.

At this point Inuyasha’s phone was blowing up with messages from the whole family, and even Kouga and Kashikoi, demanding to know how things were going. Once he helped Kagome and the pup get settled, he decided to go and let everyone know that the pup was here.

He dropped a kiss on the top of Kagome’s head. “If I go tell them, they might want to come back here to see you two. Is that okay?” he asked gruffly. If it were up to him, he wouldn’t let anyone fucking near his mate or his pup ever again.

But Kagome, being the goddamn fucking warrior goddess that she was, merely smiled. She looked exhausted, ethereal, beautiful. The pup lay sleeping in her arms.

“It’s fine,” she said with just a hint of tiredness in her voice, “but maybe not everyone at once? Maybe just my mom and your brother and Rin first?”

He nodded. “I’m on it.” He gave her one more kiss, this time on the lips, and felt his youki singing as he left them in the room.

He padded down the hall, listening to the conversations in the other maternity rooms. Other mothers seemed scared, afraid that they weren’t going to be able to properly care for their pups. Not his Kagome. She had taken to motherhood immediately, and he could not be prouder of her. There would be no fear from her—he just knew it.

He paused at the glass door to the family room. They hadn’t noticed him yet, but he could sense his family’s tension. He took a deep breath, and opened the door.

The air went out of the room with a whoosh as everyone’s head whipped around to see him standing there, one hand stretched behind his back, scratching his neck awkwardly, the other shoved into a pocket of his jeans. He had a sheepish grin on his face, one fang peeking out below his lip.

Everyone stared at him, waiting, watching.

Finally, he spoke.

“It’s a girl.”

And the room exploded with joy.

Mrs. Higurashi and Rin fell into each other’s arms, crying. Asuka and Sayua clasped hands with glee, and Souta high-fived Sesshomaru, who _almost_ looked like he enjoyed it. Jii-chan murmured a prayer of thanks, and Hideaki rushed forward to grasp Inuyasha’s hands in congratulations. It was pure chaos, and Inuyasha’s ears flattened against his head.

“Hold up, hold up,” he said loudly, stepping forward. Everyone fell quiet and looked at the new father anxiously. “Everything’s fine,” he added. “She would like to see Mama, Rin, and Sess.” He paused. “Everyone else will have to wait until later, maybe tomorrow.” Like fucking hell was anyone else going to get in to see his mate and pup tonight.

“That’s a good idea,” Mrs. Higurashi said. She turned to Hideaki. “Will you take Jii-chan and Souta home, please?” She put her arms around her son. “I’ll be home a little later, dear. Take care of Jii-chan for me, okay?” Souta nodded.

Hideaki put his arm around the boy. “Come on. I think tonight we stop for ice cream on the way home and then play a little Switch, what do you think?” Souta nodded excitedly and they left the room and headed down the hall, Asuka and Sayua arguing over who was going to win at Super Smash Brothers.

Inuyasha led the way down the hall to the maternity ward. He pressed the buzzer to the double doors, and a nurse answered the door. Inuyasha had his baby bracelet scanned, and they were allowed in. Inuyasha’s ears twitched anxiously as he listened for sounds from his mate or pup, but all was quiet. He did detect Kagome’s scent, even from where she was down the hall. Their family followed him patiently until they reached the door to Kagome’s room. He peeked in first to make sure it was okay for the family to come in, and when Kagome gave a nod, he stepped aside and allowed everyone in.

Kagome sat up in the hospital bed, the pup curled up in her arms. While Inuyasha was gone, a nurse had helped her change out of the hospital gown and into a nursing tank and pajama pants; she was resting on top of the blankets, cross-legged. Her dark hair was tied up in a ponytail away from her face, and her dark brown eyes were tired but shining with happiness. Her cheeks radiated pink against the paleness of her skin. She was a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. Inuyasha glowed with pride at the sight of her, and at the sight of the tiny pup in her arms.

The pup was, in his eyes, perfect. Her dark hair was short but thick, and her tiny black ears twitched, even in her sleep. Her eyes were closed, but her lashes were already long and thick, and she had a tiny, perfect nose. Her breaths were shallow and slightly irregular, but the nurse had said that was to be expected. She had small little claws on her hands and feet, and Kagome had already put mittens and socks on the little hanyou, to make sure that she didn’t scratch herself. Her little mittened hands were crossed under her chin, giving the impression that she was deep in thought.

Mrs. Higurashi and Rin took a seat on either side of Kagome, Mrs. Higurashi kissing her daughter on the top of her head and Rin rubbing Kagome’s shoulder affectionately. Sesshomaru stood back, surveying the scene beside his brother, who was still radiating with happiness and flush with his youki.

“How did it go, dear?” Mrs. Higurashi asked.

“She was a fucking warrior,” Inuyasha said proudly. Rin made a _tsk_ -ing sound. “Fine,” he acquiesced. “She was a warrior.” He grinned.

“It wasn’t easy, Mama,” Kagome said tiredly. “I don’t know how you did this twice.”

Mrs. Higurashi chuckled. “The second time was a little easier than the first, my dear,” she replied. “Your body knows what it’s doing by then, and that helps.”

“You did so well, Kagome-chan,” whispered Rin, looking down at the pup with adoration. “She is perfect.”

“She is, isn’t she?” said Kagome, so pleased.

“What is her name?”

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha. He smirked at her and nodded.

Kagome looked down at the pup, gently caressing her cheek. The pup mewled slightly but continued to sleep. “We decided to call her Morika,” she said.

“Lovely,” Rin said. “How will you spell it?”

Inuyasha went to Kagome’s bedside table and grabbed a notepad and a pen. He carefully wrote out the pup’s name: 森香. He showed it to Mrs. Higurashi and Rin, then to his brother.

“Fragrance of the forest, ne?” Rin commented.

“It’s lovely, Kagome, Inuyasha-kun,” Mrs. Higurashi said.

Sesshomaru stood silently, watching the scene unfold.

“Well, Sess?” asked Inuyasha proudly. “What do you think of your niece?”

Sesshomaru considered the question for a long moment. “She is perfect, despite who her father is.”

Inuyasha decided to let the dig go in favor of his brother’s kind words towards his daughter.

“And it is a good name for her,” Sesshomaru added. “For a pup whose parents met and fell in love in a forest.”

Inuyasha’s chest puffed out with pride; he couldn’t help it.

Just then little Morika started crying fitfully and twisting in her mother’s arms. She opened and closed her eyes; they were Inuyasha’s golden amber, but there were also flecks of chocolate brown, like her mother’s. Inuyasha smiled at the sight of her beautiful, beautiful eyes. Kagome shushed the pup and then looked up. “She needs to eat,” Kagome said quietly.

Rin moved across the room and took her mate gently by the arm. “Come on, anata,” she said, “let’s give Kagome-chan some privacy. We can come back tomorrow.”

Sesshomaru nodded and turned to Mrs. Higurashi. “Oba-sama, we will wait for you in the family room,” he said. “Take all the time you need.”

“Thank you, my Lord,” said Mrs. Higurashi, bowing.

Sesshomaru bobbed his head and hooked Rin’s hand through his arm as they left the room. At their absence the pup became crying even more loudly. Inuyasha ran out into the hall.

“Sess, wait,” he said, rushing after his brother. Sesshomaru and Rin paused. “Don’t go yet,” he said. “The pup wants you.”

Sesshomaru turned and eyed his brother. “The pup… _wants_ …me?”

“I think she needs to know her uncle is here,” Inuyasha said. “She started crying more when you left. Just go in and hold her. Let her smell you. Then if you don’t want to stay, you don’t have to. But let her know that you’re here.”

Sesshomaru squeezed Rin’s arm and followed his brother back into the hospital room, Rin close behind. In the room Kagome was nursing the pup, who was sucking greedily. She looked up at Inuyasha and beamed. He went to her side and smoothed her hair back, watching his pup nurse, enjoying the sloppy sounds she was making. She was happy, so he was happy.

Suddenly the pup unlatched from Kagome’s breast with a pop and began sniffing the air. Kagome switched the pup in her arms and fixed her nursing top. The pup started to whine again. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, who turned to Sesshomaru. He sighed and crossed the room to Kagome and held out his arms like this was the last thing he wanted to do.

A nod from Inuyasha allowed Kagome to pass the pup into Sesshomaru’s arms. The great daiyoukai held the tiny pup close to his face, allowing her to smell him, to imprint his scent. She whined for a moment, then reached out and licked his cheek. She immediately calmed down; Sesshomaru snuggled the pup in the crook of his arm, gently covering her with his other hand. She closed her chocolate-gold eyes and began to purr in her uncle’s arms.

Sesshomaru’s heart melted.

Just a tiny, tiny bit.

But it melted.

Kagome felt a rush of pleasure at the sight. Inuyasha scented her happiness and took her hand in his. She squeezed his hand slowly, and he sat beside her on the bed, allowing her head to rest against his shoulder and her eyes to close.

Mrs. Higurashi stood next to Rin. “Have you ever seen his Lordship look so at peace?” she asked the Lady of the West quietly.

Rin laughed softly. “Only when he held his own pups.” She paused. “One would never guess he had such a soft spot for pups.”

Mrs. Higurashi wrapped her arm around Rin. “I believe that’s also how he took you in and fell in love with you, my Lady,” she whispered.

* * *

Over the next few days Kagome and Inuyasha rested at the hospital and got to know Morika. She was a greedy pup who liked to nurse and then purr in her mother’s lap, but she was also sweet and loving. She enjoyed snuggling with her father and uncle (who would never tell a soul, but he visited every day), and trying to shred her mittens. The family all came to see them: Asuka came every day in between classes, and Mrs. Higurashi, Hideaki, and Sayua came when Inuyasha had to go to class. There were still two weeks left in the semester; Kagome would be allowed to take her final exams online, but Inuyasha would have to go to campus. Their professors were understanding, but only to a point.

Sayua enjoyed holding her new cousin while Hideaki and Kagome meditated. Kagome was unsurprised to note that the visions seemed to have abated; since Morika was born, she hadn’t had a nightmare. That could be because she had barely slept, but she felt at peace in a way that she hadn’t since she’d gotten pregnant. Hideaki tested Kagome’s spiritual powers and found them unchanged, but they were hesitant to use them yet on the pup, to form a barrier or otherwise. Hideaki thought it best to wait until the pup was a few months old, tracking her development, before making any decisions on using Kagome’s spiritual power.

Kagome desperately wanted a moment alone with Sesshomaru, to tell him about the vision she’d had the night before Morika was born, but he was either always accompanied by someone, or someone was always there with her. There was no privacy in the hospital; she’d have to wait until they were home. And she had no clue how she was going to tell Inuyasha that Kikyo’d had Onigumo’s baby. If her dreams were to be believed, of course.

One day Kagome happened to be alone with Morika when she had a surprise visitor. That didn’t happen often in the hospital, but Kagome enjoyed the time alone with her daughter. The bond between mother and child was crucial, and Kagome liked having quiet time when they could do skin-to-skin and just be together.

There was a soft knock at the door and when Kagome called out, a familiar face poked her head in the door.

“Is this a bad time?” she asked.

“Suzuki-sensei,” said Kagome happily, “it’s wonderful to see you! How did you know I was here?”

“Moriyama-sensei called me. May I come in?” she asked.

Kagome adjusted her top, wrapped Morika in her blanket, and slipped a hat on her head to hide her ears. “Please do.” Kagome rose from the chair and went to greet her old kyudo coach. Suzuki-sensei peered down at the sleeping pup. “What a beautiful baby,” Suzuki-sensei breathed.

“Oh, thank you, Suzuki-sensei,” replied Kagome, positively glowing from the compliment.

“How are you feeling?” Suzuki-sensei asked.

Kagome sank onto the couch, motioning with one hand for Suzuki-sensei to sit with her. The two women sat together, Morika still sleeping in her mother’s arms. “I’m okay,” Kagome said wearily. “You wouldn’t believe what delivering a baby does to a woman’s body. I feel like I’ve been through the wringer. And the things I have to do…down there.” She grimaced. Suzuki-sensei blushed a little at Kagome’s insinuation and Kagome laughed. “Please don’t be embarrassed,” she added. “I’ve given birth. I’ve literally got no secrets left.”

Suzuki-sensei laughed too, and watched the pup thoughtfully. “You are happy, Higurashi-kun?”

Kagome smiled. “I’m ecstatically, wonderfully happy, Suzuki-sensei,” she replied. “I never thought I would feel this way about another person. About _two_ persons,” she added. “Who knew a baby would bring Yash and I even closer?” Her face smoothed as she became lost in her thoughts for a moment, thinking of how much Inuyasha had grown since they’d married and she’d become pregnant. She couldn’t wait to see what kind of a father he would be.

Quickly, Kagome remembered she wasn’t alone. “How is the school team?” Kagome asked curiously.

Suzuki-sensei frowned. “Since you graduated, the team has lost its focus. We spend a lot of time working on the basics.” When Kagome sighed, Suzuki-sensei smiled slightly. “You miss it.”

“I do miss it,” Kagome admitted.

“You’ll be back to it soon, Higurashi-kun,” Suzuki-sensei said. “Don’t worry.”

Kagome smiled. “The doctor said six weeks,” she said.

“If you need help training, give me a call,” Suzuki-sensei replied, smiling as well. She held out her hands. “May I?”

Kagome hesitated for a moment; no one else other than Inuyasha and their immediate family had held Morika yet. They were trying to get her acclimated to the family’s scents. But Suzuki-sensei looked so… _lonely_ , like she needed this. So Kagome decided in that moment that it was fine. She gave her baby to her former coach. When the pup passed into Suzuki-sensei’s arms, Kagome felt a tingle, ever so slightly, shoot up her arm and into her heart, but she dismissed it quickly. Her motherly instincts were taking over too much lately. She could hardly tell which way was up. Everytime someone other than family held the pup, she was getting emotional.

“Everything okay, Higurashi-kun?” Suzuki-sensei asked worriedly. “If it’s too much to let me hold her yet, I understand.”

Kagome shook her head a little too enthusiastically. “Nope, it’s fine. We’ve just been trying to get her used to immediate family only. But I don’t think a few minutes could hurt.”

Suzuki-sensei smiled gratefully, and looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms. Kagome watched her carefully. She seemed a natural, rocking Morika slowly and whispering little nothings to keep her asleep. Morika’s ears and claws were perfectly covered, so there was no chance Suzuki-sensei could figure out their secret.

“Why the mittens, Higurashi-kun?” asked Suzuki-sensei suddenly.

“Babies have sharp fingernails,” Kagome said smoothly. “The nurses recommend mittens so they don’t scratch themselves.” _Not exactly a lie_ , she thought.

Suzuki-sensei smiled absently, rocking the pup for another moment or two. She then looked up at Kagome and offered Morika back to her mother; Kagome accepted her child and immediately snuggled her back into the crook of her arm. Suzuki-sensei patted her former athlete on the arm and rose.

“I’ll be going, then,” she said.

“Thank you for coming,” Kagome said warmly. She really meant it; it was good to see someone who was not family. She’d called Yuka in hopes she could stop by, but with finals and everything, Yuka was too busy and planned to visit Kagome at home in a few weeks.

“I’ll stop by the shrine soon,” Suzuki-sensei promised. “I know that new mothers like to have people around to hold their babies so they can do things like eat and take a shower.”

Kagome laughed. “I’ve got a whole household of people to help with that, but _thank you_ for offering. Anytime you have free I will greatly appreciate the help.”

“See you soon, Higurashi-kun,” answered Suzuki-sensei. As she made her way out of the room, she passed by Inuyasha, who was coming back from class with a pile of papers and books for Kagome. “Fujimura-san,” she said with surprise. “Where were you?”

“Only Kagome gets a break from classes,” Inuyasha grunted. “I’ve still got a week and a half left.”

“I didn’t realize you were in school, too,” she commented. “Good luck with your exams,” she added, and went out the door and down the hallway to exit the maternity ward.

“What was your old kyudo coach doing here?” Inuyasha asked his wife.

Kagome shifted Morika in her arms and adjusted her sitting position. “Moriyama-sensei called her, she said.” Inuyasha sat beside her and took her ponytail out, delicately combing through her hair with his claws. It was so knotted; she needed a proper hair washing and brushing. The pup yawned and snuggled into her mother. Kagome sighed.

“Ready to go home, mate?” Inuyasha asked her gently. She nodded and rested her head against his shoulder. He nuzzled her hair and gazed down at their pup. He couldn’t wait to get them home and start making a life for all three of them. His youki was practically howling nonstop with pride and with a desire to love and to protect. And he intended to do so. No matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kagome's birthing technique is called hypnobirthing. It's a combination of visualization, meditation, relaxation, and breathing techniques, and I found it to work really, really well. 
> 
> Okay, so Morika's name. The kanji of her name break down as such. The first kanji, 森, means "woods," while the second, 香, translates to "incense," but in this case, could also mean "scent" or "fragrance." So I've had Rin interpret it as "fragrance of the forest," which struck me as perfect for Inuyasha and Kagome's daughter. I went through A LOT of names, but when I saw this one, I immediately knew.
> 
> I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! In the next update: Kagome and Inuyasha continue to adjust to parenthood (heck, they'll be doing that for the rest of their lives), and Kagome tells Sesshomaru about her dream. How will he react? Thanks so much, again, for reading! I look forward to hearing from you <3


	44. Mysterious Communications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome tells Sesshomaru about her most recent vision, and then promptly has another one. Sesshomaru continues communicating with his mysterious contact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or anyone else from the manga and/or anime. Everyone else belongs to me :)
> 
> Hello all! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and well.
> 
> This is a baby chapter, but as a bonus I will post this one today and Chapter 45 tomorrow! I would do them both today, but I have a pile of grading to get through this weekend, so my editing is somewhat slowed. As always, please enjoy reading!

Kagome was tired. Bone-tired, exhausted to her core: just completely and utterly tired. The pup wore her out. All day, every hour or two, the pup demanded food, and would somtimes nurse without stopping for hours on end (something called “cluster feeding,” which Kagome had been entirely unprepared for, but which the pup did every few days). When the pup wasn’t nursing, she was sleeping, but only on Kagome or Inuyasha. That stupid crib Sesshomaru and Hideaki had installed was hanging out, largely unused, in the nursery.

Inuyasha was on campus every day, taking his exams and studying. He often left early in the morning, and came back with study guides and stacks of papers for Kagome. He either rocked Morika while Kagome worked, or Kagome sat up in the recliner in the nursery, pup laying on the nursing pillow, sucking away, while she typed out answers to her take-homes with one hand. She suspected she was going to barely pass at least one of her classes, which was a shame, since she had been doing so well. None of her professors had agreed to give her an incomplete, citing that she should not have been in school at all while pregnant (like she was supposed to know that the pup would come early!). And her female professors had been just as harsh as her male professors, if not more so. _So much for women helping other women,_ Kagome thought with a scowl.

Through it all, Inuyasha had been awesome. He made sure she had enough to eat and drink. While Kagome struggled through the early days of milk production, he made sure she drank plenty of water, and he looked up the foods that would help her produce milk (like oatmeal, which she liked, and adzuki beans, which she did not). He found a recipe online for lactation cookies, and he and her mother had baked them together, surprising her. They were delicious, and they worked! And every other day, he put the pup in the baby seat and set her up in the bathroom, then would set his wife on the bathing stool, rinsing her off and washing her hair. She was healing excellently, and soon she would be ready for a bath. She’d graduated from mesh panties to pads, and she didn’t need the pain spray as much as she did in the early days.

But still, nagging in the back of her mind, was that vision. Of Kikyo. Pregnant. She tried hard not to think about it, and it was admittedly easier than she thought it would be. But still it remained, calling out to her, reminding her that there was a mystery to solved. She had to talk to Sesshomaru. She needed his help to form a plan.

The morning Inuyasha left for campus to finish up his exams, she sent Sesshomaru a quick text.

 _Are you busy this morning? I need to see you. I had another vision_.

She set the phone down and went to check on Morika, who was actually taking her morning nap in her crib and not on Kagome. The pup was resting quietly, swaddled in a linen blanket, turned lightly on her side. Kagome held her breath as she watched her pup sleep. Her long eyelashes were dark against the translucence of her eyelids; her perfect little lips were pursed in a frown. Morika’s ears twitched lightly on top of her head. Was she dreaming? What do pups dream about?

Kagome longed to reach out and touch her child, to pick her up and hold her close, but knew that one should never wake a sleeping baby; and, if she touched the pup, she would most certainly awaken. And Kagome needed five more minutes of quiet.

Tiptoeing out of the nursery, she went back to the living room to pick up her phone and headed into the bathroom. As Kagome got undressed to take a quick shower, she checked her phone and saw she had a notification from Sesshomaru.

_Give me thirty minutes._

She smiled and sat on the bathing stool, turning on the shower head. She let the hot water run over her, turning her face into it and letting the heat pour down her face. It felt better than just about anything she’d been allowed to feel the past week. She quickly shampooed and conditioned her hair, then used a nice body wash to help combat her general feeling of grossness. She knew Inuyasha thought she was anything but gross, and he’d been so great about helping her get clean, but she still felt like a giant scab that had been picked open, so she took advantage of any quiet time to rinse herself off.

Once she was clean, she ran into the bedroom to get a fresh change of clothes, and just in time! The pup was awake. Kagome went into the nursery and watched her pup, mewling and twisting in the swaddle.

“What’s the matter, my little puppy-choo?” cooed Kagome, lifting Morika out of her crib. At the sound of her mother’s voice, the pup immediately relaxed. She knew her parents’ voices and scent, and almost always quieted down quickly when one of them held her and spoke to her.

Kagome could see Morika’s diaper needed changing, so she laid the pup on the changing table and deftly unhooked the diaper with one hand and grabbed the wipes with the other. She quickly wiped the pup down, lifted the dirty diaper from underneath her, squeezed out some diaper cream onto the pup’s behind, and then slid the clean diaper under the pup.

“You are getting good at this, little miko,” said a voice from behind her. Kagome nearly jumped a foot in the air, taking the dirty diaper with her.

“Sesshomaru!” she gasped, fixing the diaper and lifting Morika from the table. He looked at her solemnly and held out his arms.

“Do you want to say hi to your Uncle Sessy?” murmured Kagome. The look Sesshomaru gave her was lethal. Kagome just chuckled and handed over her daughter. Sesshomaru tucked the pup in the crook of his arm and gestured to the living room with his head; Kagome followed. He settled himself on the couch; Kagome made herself at home on the overstuffed chair, flinging her limbs about a bit. It felt good to relax without a pup in her arms.

“You called this Sesshomaru, miko,” he said, tickling the pup with his claws. Morika made a gurgling sound that Kagome swore was a giggle. She smiled briefly, then turned to her brother-in-law.

“I did.”

“You said you had a vision?”

“I did.”

“Would you care to tell this Sesshomaru about the vision, miko?”

Kagome fidgeted. “Kikyo was pregnant with Onigumo’s child.”

Sesshomaru nearly dropped the pup in his arms. “Say—say that again.”

“Kikyo. Pregnant. Onigumo.” Kagome didn’t love spelling this out again. But he was her only hope if she was going to solve this without Inuyasha blowing a gasket and/or having his heart broken all over again.

“How do you know?” he asked.

“It was in my dream,” Kagome replied. “She went to see him. She was going away for a long time. He told her that he loved her; she didn’t say it back. As she walked away, she rubbed her belly. I’m sure the baby would have been Onigumo’s.” Kagome choked back a sob; Sesshomaru looked at her with as much sympathy as he could muster. “Why am I seeing this?” she added in a desperate voice. “Sesshomaru…why has this been happening to me?”

Sesshomaru looked down at the pup and teased her a little with his claws. “You are Kikyo’s reincarnation. She had a part of your soul. It makes sense that you would still be connected to her.” He looked up at Kagome. “You’re sure about this vision, miko?”

Kagome gave him a steady, level, look. “Is that my pup in your arms?”

Sesshomaru rose and handed Kagome the pup. She took her and looked up at the Lord of the West. All at once he seemed terrible and kind and menacing and gentle.

“I will look into this, miko,” he said simply. “Try not to worry. Care for your pup and your mate.” And as quickly as he had come into the cottage, he was gone, leaving Kagome to stare after him in disbelief.

“Your uncle Sessy is right, little pup,” she murmured, unsnapping her nursing tank. The pup greedily attacked her breast; she sat rocking Morika as she continued to think aloud. “He will take care of it, I’m sure.” She looked down at the pup, who was making little mewling sounds as she nursed. “How am I going to tell your papa, though?”

Outside the cottage, Sesshomaru paused a moment before he left, one hand pressed over his heart. This was much more troubling than he had originally thought. He took a moment and fished his phone from his pocket; he looked up a number and punched in a simple message.

 _It’s time. Come to the manor. We must meet_.

* * *

She was resting on a futon that was not her own, lying next to a baby that slept peacefully. It had dark hair, like Kikyo; its hair curled lightly, like Onigumo’s.

Kagome stared at the baby, trying to ascertain Kikyo’s feelings, which felt all mixed up and confused. Where were they? She remembered that Kikyo had left the village, presumably to have the baby, but she’d had no visions of the interim to suggest where Kikyo had gone or how much time had passed between when she left the village and gave birth.

Kikyo sighed, running her hand gently over the baby’s forehead. The baby yawned and opened its eyes a little. Kagome was shocked to see that the eyes were a deep red, so dark they were almost brown.

“Hello, little one,” Kikyo crooned. The baby fussed and Kikyo opened her kimono, exposing her breast. The baby latched and ate eagerly. Kagome couldn’t help but smile to herself; while she didn’t love the sore and cracked nipples that came along with those early days of breastfeeding, she did love the feeling of closeness she was developing with Morika. She wondered if Kikyo had the same feelings towards this baby.

Kikyo sighed again. Through Kikyo’s eyes, Kagome looked around the room. It was small, with the futon the only piece of furniture in it. There was a small bundle beside the futon that Kagome assumed held Kikyo’s personal belongings. She wondered how long Kikyo had been in this room—wherever that was.

There was a gentle rustle at the mat hanging from the doorframe. “Just a minute,” Kikyo called. She picked up the baby and held it closely, pulling herself to a seated position. She used her kimono to cover the nursing child. “Come in,” she said.

The straw mat moved aside, and an elderly woman entered the room. Her graying hair was tied back into a simple bun; her kimono, although beautiful, was old and frayed. But her lined face was kind and she smiled down at Kikyo and the baby.

“How are you doing, Keiko-san?” she asked. Kagome quickly realized she meant Kikyo. “How is the baby adjusting to life outside the womb?”

“We’re doing well, Imamoto-san,” Kikyo replied. “Thank you for asking.”

The woman called Imamoto-san frowned a little. “What will be your plans, Keiko-san?” Kikyo must have looked confused, because the woman added, “now that you have had your baby.”

Kikyo shrugged. “I have to return to my village, I guess.” She looked down at the baby, still suckling away at her breast. “I am worried about bringing the child, though. I’m afraid of the father.”

Imamoto-san nodded kindly. “I understand why you felt you had to flee, Keiko-san,” she said gently. “Perhaps you could remain here, begin a new life?”

“My younger sister is still in the village,” Kikyo said. “She doesn’t know about the baby. I don’t want to tell her.”

“What will you do then?” Imamoto-san asked.

Kikyo paused; Kagome couldn’t read her thoughts, but could almost feel her brain working through some ideas. “Would I be able to leave the child here, Imamoto-san?” she asked. “I could not bring a baby back to my old life. I do not wish to endanger a child.” Her voice grew soft. “I would not wish this man to be a father to anyone, least of all my child.” Kagome’s heart broke a little.

Imamoto-san pursed her lips, looking for all the world like this was the worst idea she’d ever heard. She sighed. “Who here would want a child, Keiko-san?” she asked. “Do you not think a child is better off with its mother, as opposed to having no mother at all?”

“I’m hardly motherly material,” Kikyo chuckled. The baby popped off her breast, and she closed her kimono. “This child…” she paused, gathering her strength. “This child is not wanted by me.” Her eyes grew cold now that the child was no longer nursing. “This child will bring me nothing but hardship.”

Imamoto-san nodded, a slight look of disgust creeping across her face. “Very well,” she said. “I will begin to make the arrangements.” She pushed aside the straw mat and left the room.

Kikyo sighed and slumped back against the wall, looking down at the baby in her arms.

“What am I supposed to do with you?” she murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How many of these visions is Kagome going to have? And, will she ever tell Inuyasha about Kikyo's pregnancy? Will "Uncle Sessy" finally be the nickname that tries Sesshomaru's patience too much? Find out in the next update, and thank you so much for continuing to read!


	45. Breaking Free of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome and Hideaki have a very honest conversation. Kagome tells Inuyasha everything. Inuyasha struggles to reconcile his past and his present, but comes to a resolution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and well. 
> 
> You guys, I have been so overwhelmed with your bookmarks, your kudos, and your comments on this story! When I started writing this back in December, I did it for fun, as a way to escape from the stress of my job and life in general. A friend read the first few chapters and insisted that this story needed a home; I'm so glad that you have welcomed it here and given it lots of love. I'm forever grateful <3 
> 
> Here is an extra-long chapter for you to enjoy!

A gentle knock at the door roused Kagome from her sleep. She was sweating, her breasts were heaving, and she was taking huge gulps of air, on the brink of hyperventilating. That had been one of the most vivid dreams she’d had thus far. Her mind was reeling. Had Kikyo wanted the baby? Had she given it up to protect it from Onigumo? Kagome couldn’t quite tell.

Another knock sounded at the door. She pushed Kikyo and Onigumo out of her mind for a moment, trying to focus on this current moment in time, in _her_ life. She looked down at the pup in her arms, still sleeping, and struggled to get to her feet. The pup couldn’t weigh more than eight or nine pounds; why was every move with the pup so freaking hard?

Grunting, she pushed herself to her feet and shuffled out of the chair towards the door. She grabbed a hat from the basket in the genkan and expertly covered her daughter’s head with one hand, gently so Morika didn’t even stir. Kagome then opened the door slowly.

“Suzuki-sensei!” she exclaimed in a whisper.

“Higurashi-kun,” she said, surprised at Kagome’s disheveled appearance. “Are you all right?”

Kagome stepped aside to allow her coach into the genkan. Suzuki-sensei removed her shoes and slipped on some slippers she’d brought. “I’m fine,” Kagome said, a little shortly. “Just a bad dream. I’m exhausted,” she added quickly when her coach made a sympathetic sound.

Suzuki-sensei slipped an affectionate arm around Kagome. “Let’s get you back to the couch,” she said, concerned. “Can I get you anything?”

“A glass of water, please,” Kagome said gratefully, sinking onto the couch and adjusting the baby in her arms.

Suzuki-sensei went to the kitchen; Kagome could hear her rumagining around in the cabinets, then opening and closing the refrigerator to get fresh water. She returned to the living room and gave Kagome the glass; Kagome took it gratefully and drank slowly, enjoying the feel of the cool water on her throat.

Once it was clear that Kagome was settled, Suzuki-sensei sat in the chair across of her former student. “How are you?” she asked. “Because I’ve got to be honest, you don’t look great.”

Kagome laughed hollowly. “Childbirth and nursing will do that to you.”

“So do you regret it?” Suzuki-sensei asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Kagome looked down at her pup and smiled. “Not a chance,” she said softly, running her finger down the bridge of Morika’s nose. Suzuki-sensei smiled a little, in spite of herself.

“Where is your husband?” she asked next.

“Yash is at school, finishing the last of his exams,” Kagome replied. “I’m taking all my exams online. My professors are flexible, but only to some extent. I’ve got to get everything done by Monday.”

“That’s so soon!” Suzuki-sensei exclaimed. “Will you need help?”

“No, Yash will be done with school, and he’ll have some time off before he goes back to work for his brother,” Kagome said. “We’ll have a chance to be together and bond as a family. We haven’t had much time to do that lately. Right after she was born, exams started, and Yash has been on campus almost everyday studying and taking exams. He didn’t want to distract me or make me jealous.”

“Jealous?” Kagome heard the surprise in Suzuki-sensei’s voice.

“Sure,” Kagome replied easily. “Jealous that he doesn’t have a baby attached to him half the day, and he has the freedom and the ability to take his exams on campus. When he’s here, he wants to be fully here and fully engaged, not worrying about fitting in the studying.”

“But don’t you feel like he’s abandoning you for his schoolwork?” Suzuki-sensei pressed.

Kagome paused on that question. “Maybe a little,” she said honestly. “But if he were here and studying, it would be driving me crazy, because it’s so hard for me to study. And I actually get more done if he’s out of the house during the day, and then comes home and takes over on dad duty for a few hours.” She chuckled. “It makes me more focused, I guess?”

Suzuki-sensei was silent for a long time. Kagome rocked Morika gently in her arms; the pup loved to sleep all day and be up all night. They were going to have to work on that…what was it called? Circadian rhythm.

“You seemed disoriented when I arrived, Higurashi-kun,” Suzuki-sensei finally said. “Is the lack of sleep getting to you? Is there something I can do to help?”

Kagome smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Suzuki-sensei; I had a bad dream while I was napping,” she replied. “It threw me a little. But I promise to take you up on that offer if I ever need it.”

They sat for a few more minutes, chatting about the kyudo club and making a plan for Kagome’s training once the midwife gave her the all-clear. She couldn’t wait to get a bow in her hands again.

The front door opened slowly; Kagome jumped and Suzuki-sensei made to rise.

“It’s just me, Kagome-sama,” said Hideaki, his hands raised in defense.

Suzuki-sensei sat back down and Kagome breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hideaki,” said Kagome, surprised, “why are you here?”

“Inuyasha-sa…Inuyasha is running late,” Hideaki said, remembering this time to curb his use of the honorific in the presence of their human friend. “He asked me to come by and check on you, but I see you are doing just fine.”

“I should be going, anyway,” said Suzuki-sensei, standing. “We have a meet tomorrow and I need to prepare.”

Kagome made to stand too, but Suzuki-sensei waved her back down. “I’ll check in with you soon, Higurashi-kun. Take care of that adorable baby. And I meant what I said; if you need someone to watch her while you shower or nap, I’m happy to help.”

Kagome nodded her head. “Thank you, Suzuki-sensei,” she said warmly. She really meant it.

“I’ll see you soon,” Suzuki-sensei said, heading to the door. She nodded at Hideaki and then left, closing the door gently behind her.

Hideaki took Suzuki-sensei’s place in the chair. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

Kagome looked down at the pup. “She’s doing great.” Kagome laughed, but that turned into a sob. “Me, not so much.”

Hideaki rose from the chair and joined her on the sofa, putting a comforting arm around her. She took several shuddering breaths, as though trying to not cry. When she had regained her sense of self, she looked at Hideaki. “How much do you know about my dreams?” she asked him.

“Only what the Lord of the West has told me, which honestly isn’t much,” he admitted. “Something about Kikyo?”

Kagome nodded. “She was…intimate…with Onigumo. She was pregnant.” Hideaki’s eyes grew wide, but he maintained his composure, although perhaps squeezing Kagome’s shoulders a bit tighter. “There are some things I haven’t told Inuyasha yet,” she said. “I’ve struggled pretty consistently with what to tell him. The first time I told him about the dreams, I thought he was going to break down completely. If I hadn’t been pregnant, I think he would have left me, even though we’re mated.” Her breath grew tight again; Hideaki rubbed her shoulders and sat beside her, quiet.

“I am sorry you are bearing this burden alone, Kagome-sama,” he said finally. “But you know you have to tell him."

“I do,” she said immediately. “I’m just afraid that he might…”

“Hurt you?” Hideaki supplied.

“Hurt himself,” she responded. “Not me. Not Morika. Never us.”

“I see.” Hideaki rose and paced, his feet making no noise on the tatami floor. Kagome rocked Morika, willing her to stay asleep until the conversation was at least a little less tense.

“You have to tell him, Kagome-sama,” Hideaki repeated after pacing for a few moments.

“I know,” she said.

“If you would like someone to be with you…”

“I’ll call Sesshomaru.”

Hideaki’s eyes grew wide.

Kagome smiled sadly. “He has been a huge help, surprisingly. He managed Inuyasha when I told him that Kikyo and Onigumo were intimate, remember? He can do it again. I appreciate your offer, though.”

Hideaki grew thoughtful again. “What if I were to help you in another way?” Kagome looked at him curiously. “What if we worked on meditation again? Maybe that would help you find some peace so you could sleep at night? It might help with the visions? We did it in the hospital those few times, and the practice didn’t seem to affect you negatively. I think it’s time we start your training again regularly, even if it’s just meditation for now.”

Kagome thought for a moment, her hand gently caressing the sleeping pup in her arms. “I would need someone to watch Morika for me.”

“I’ll bring Sayua or Asuka or Oba-sama with me,” Hideaki said immediately. “Or your mother. There are plenty of people who would be willing to watch her for an hour.”

Kagome suddenly smiled. “It would be good to start practicing again,” she mused. “Make me feel a little bit more like myself.”

Hideaki sat back down beside her and looked her full in the face. He looked so much like his father that Kagome felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. “You are yourself, Kagome-sama,” he said kindly. “Just…you have a new part to yourself that you must get used to. And you will. It’ll just take time, that’s all.”

Kagome felt tears welling up in her eyes. She sniffed and did the best she could to keep from bursting into tears. She could sense Hideaki’s aura growing panicked. “You didn’t say anything wrong,” she said, the tears falling despite her best efforts. “There are times when I…forget who I am.” She looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you for helping me remember that I’m still me, not just a diaper-changing cow who never sleeps.”

Hideaki put his arm around her shoulders again and squeezed her affectionately. “I don’t think _anyone_ would ever describe you that way, Kagome-sama,” he replied. “So don’t think of yourself like that.” He paused. “I know I don’t have pups, so I’m not exactly one to speak on the matter, but…from what I hear, it _does_ get better.”

Kagome choked back a sob as a laugh. “And when does that happen?”

Hideaki shrugged. “It took twenty years for things to get better with Asuka, sooo…”

Now she laughed for real. The pup in her arms mewled and opened her golden brown eyes. She started rooting around in Kagome’s chest.

“I think it’s feeding time, Nephew,” Kagome said, her tears gone and her face shining with happiness again.

“And on that note, I take my leave,” he said, rising. “I’ll be back tomorrow, okay? I’ll bring one of the ladies of the House of the West with me…or the Lord of the East herself.”

“Hideaki,” Kagome called as he turned to go. He stopped and looked back at her. “Why don’t you and Sayua have any children? You’ve been mated a long time, no?”

Hideaki frowned. “My mate and I have not always agreed on when the best time would be to have children,” he said carefully. Kagome sensed there was more to the story. “And now that she is the Lord of the East, it may be even harder for her to make the transiton to motherhood. But,” he added wistfully, “there is always time.”

“You come from a big family,” Kagome said, “and I’m sure that you’d like a big family of your own.”

“What I want isn’t always necessarily what will happen,” he answered. “I love my mate with everything that I am. I would give my life for her in an instant. I went into this knowing that children may or may not be part of the deal.” He paused. “We can’t help who we love, Kagome-sama.”

“No,” said Kagome, “we can’t.”

He leaned over to kiss her cheek, and to kiss the pup on her head. The pup recognized his scent and mewed for him to hold her.

“Will you?” Kagome asked. “Before she eats?”

Hideaki obliged and took the pup from her mother’s arms. He held her tenderly; Kagome’s heart bloomed at the picture they made. In her mind she imagined Miroku holding her pup, and she felt a gush of warmth at the sight of her old friend’s son doing what she wished Miroku'd had the ability to do himself. Morika purred in her cousin’s arms and settled back down, eyeing him comfortably.

Kagome rose. “I’m going to run to the bathroom to freshen up,” she said, seizing the opportunity. “You’ll be all right for five minutes, right?”

“So it would seem,” Hideaki murmured, as completely taken with his baby cousin as she was with him. Kagome used that moment to slip away, use the toilet, and splash some cold water on her face. She looked in the mirror and felt much more like herself.

“Oi, _Kagome!_ ” came a shout from the living room. She sighed. She never got a moment’s peace.

Kagome went back into the living room, only to see Inuyasha huffing and puffing at the sight of his pup in another man’s arms. “What the fuck is the fucking monk doing holding my pup?” he demanded.

Kagome rolled her eyes at him. “Calm down, Inuyasha,” she said impatiently. “Hideaki came to check on me, _like you asked_ , I will add. We talked, the pup scented him and wanted to be near him. I took the opportunity to wash myself up a little so I feel more human and less like a giant cow.”

At that Inuyasha stopped his complaining. He saw his wife, leaning in the doorframe, her face puffy, her eyes exhausted, and her body slumped. She was carrying so much weight on her shoulders, and here he was, adding to the burden, instead of being grateful the monk was there to help her.

Kagome smiled wearily and took the pup from Hideaki. “Thanks so much for stopping by,” she said, “and for watching Morika so I could freshen up.”

Hideaki nodded, getting her meaning. “I’ll see you soon, Kagome-sama,” he replied, and scooted past Inuyasha into the genkan, where he got his shoes and then slipped out.

Kagome sat on the couch and held Morika, preparing to feed her. Inuyasha rushed into the nursery to get the feeding pillow; he arranged Morika on it as Kagome unsnapped her nursing bra and pushed the little mewling mouth onto her nipple. It was painful _and_ exhilarating.

Inuyasha nestled in beside his mate and pup on the couch. He ruffled Kagome’s hair, then inhaled her scent. She was _so_ tired, her body was drooping at every step. He laid his head on her shoulder; he felt her relax at the contact. Together they sat, watching their pup nurse, for a good while. Kagome switched the pup from one nipple to the other, Morika continuing to suck greedily away.

When at last Morika dozed off, still attached to Kagome’s breast, Kagome stuck a finger between the pup’s latch and her nipple. With a soft pop, the pup disengaged and cuddled into her mother’s chest, snoring lightly.

Inuyasha watched as Kagome quietly fixed her top and rocked their pup. “I know I say this all the time, but how did I get so fucking lucky, mate?” He turned his face up to hers and kissed her gently.

“I’m just glad you’re here, Inuyasha,” Kagome said tiredly. He sat up so she could lean against him, the pup in her arms, his arms resting around them both.

Inuyasha could have stayed like this forever. He loved scenting his mate and his pup, feeling their bodies pressed close to him, like they were a strong little family. That was why he was immediately concerned when Kagome’s scent turned from content to nervous.

“Mate?” he asked.

Kagome turned her head to look up at him. “I can’t hide anything from you, can I?” she sighed. “Here, let me up.” He moved his arms and gave her a little nudge to help her stand. She put the pup in the napper Inuyasha had purchased so they didn’t have to hold her constantly (or trek back and forth between the nursery and the living room), covered her with a blanket, then took out her phone. Inuyasha saw her fiddling with it for a moment, then she left it on the chabudai and returned to the sofa, allowing him to envelop her in his arms.

“Hopefully she will sleep,” Kagome murmured, laying her head on his chest. She would much rather lay there and listen to his heartbeat than have to tell him what was on her mind.

“Tell me what’s you're thinking about, mate,” Inuyasha said gently, burying his face in her hair and nuzzling her softly.

“The night before Morika was born, when my water broke, I was having a dream.”

“About Kikyo?” She didn’t even need to tell him; he already knew that much.

She nodded, her face hidden in his shirt. “She was going to see Onigumo. She was leaving him to go stay at another village to care for some villagers, or so she said. She even left Kaede with the headman’s family. She had gone to Onigumo to say goodbye.”

“But you don’t think that’s what’s she was doing,” he finished for her.

“I know it wasn’t.” Her voice was a whisper.

It took all of Inuyasha’s control and power to keep himself together. “Tell me, koi,” he whispered back, “what did you see?”

“Kikyo was…pregnant.” The last word was so soft Inuyasha even barely heard it.

And in fact, he wasn’t sure he had heard her correctly. “I’m sorry; what?”

“Don’t make me say it again, please.” He could smell her tears and feel the wetness they were leaving on his t-shirt.

“You’re—you’re sure.”

She nodded imperceptibly against his chest.

He growled, but not at her; he couldn’t help it.

“How do you know for sure, mate?” His voice was gruff, but not cruel.

“Today, I had another vision,” came her muffled voice. “I saw her. She was…breastfeeding the baby. She was in a strange hut. She asked the woman who was caring for them to take the baby, that she didn’t want it, and that it would only cause her trouble. She said—she said she was afraid of the father.” Kagome said the last bit in a rush.

“What happened to the baby?” Now his voice was low and rough.

“I don’t—I don’t know, mate,” she whispered honestly.

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” He whispered hoarsely. “How the fuck can you not know? Wasn’t that part of your vision?”

“Only that the woman agreed to make arrangements,” Kagome said softly.

Inuyasha hefted Kagome off his lap and began to pace, his feet falling silent on the tatami. Kagome remained on the couch, curled up, afraid of how he might respond.

Inuyasha paced back and forth, pulling at his hair, throwing out a string of curses under his breath. How could this be true? If what Kagome was saying was true, what did that mean for him? For his love for Kikyo? Had it all just been a lie? Had he really known her at all, if she’d borne a child before they’d met?

A knock at the door drew their attention. Inuyasha strode to the door and flung it open. “What the fuck are you doing here?” he hissed.

Sesshomaru glided lightly into the genkan and slipped off his shoes. “This Sesshomaru wanted to check on all of you,” he said simply.

“Some fucking time for you to show up,” Inuyasha grumbled. He continued to pace. Sesshomaru saw Kagome’s tear-streaked face and Inuyasha’s consternation, and guessed why he’d been summoned.

“Has the miko had another vision?” he asked.

Inuyasha stopped pacing long enough to nod once.

“And I take it the information revealed was…troubling?”

Inuyasha whirled around. “Are you fucking kidding me right now, Sess?” Inuyasha growled.

“Inuyasha,” murmured Kagome.

“No,” he said, “I get to say this.”

“The pup, Inuyasha,” Sesshomaru intoned. “Your mate is asking that you not wake your pup.”

“Huh?” Inuyasha looked at the the napper, where his pup slept peacefully, as though he were seeing it for the first time. Seeing Morika brought him back to himself a little. He shook his head, trying to collect himself.

“Your pup, Inuyasha.” Sesshomaru’s voice was firm as he repeated his words.

“Inuyasha,” whispered Kagome. “Please.”

“She was pregnant,” Inuyasha said shortly. “She was pregnant with that bastard’s pup.”

Kagome and Sesshomaru exchanged a look over Inuyasha’s head.

“And?” Sesshomaru said, careful not to reveal what he already knew.

“And she had the baby,” Kagome said listlessly from her place on the couch. “She had the baby, and she gave it up.”

Sesshomaru was slient for a long time. Inuyasha stopped pacing and went to look at his pup, watching her sleep. Kagome watched him watch the pup, feelings of love and terror and worry overwhelming her postpartum senses. The tears would not stop falling.

Finally, Sesshomaru spoke. “Where did the dead miko have the child, Kagome?”

Kagome started at his use of her name—it always managed to catch her by surprise. “I—I don’t know,” she admitted. “It wasn’t the village. She left to have the baby somewhere else.”

“Do you know anything about the village, miko?” Sesshomaru asked.

“Nothing,” Kagome replied. “Nothing except…the woman who helped Kikyo…her name was Imamoto-san.” She looked up at Sesshomaru. “Why do you want to know?”

“This Sesshomaru is curious, that is all,” Sesshomaru said, his voice holding its typical neutral tone.

“Fuck off, Sess,” said Inuyasha savagely.

“Inuyasha…” began Kagome.

“No, mate,” interrupted Inuyasha. “Why does he get to stick his nose in this, anyway?”

“Because he’s your brother, _mate_ ,” said Kagome, her voice soft but harsh. “Because he’s done a lot for us. He’s earned our trust, and he’s earned your respect.”

Inuyasha’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly; he couldn’t deny what she said.

Kagome stood and put her arms around her mate; he allowed her to do so. His arms encircled her, and he buried his face in her hair.

“This Sesshomaru would advise you to leave the past where it is, miko, little brother,” said Sesshomaru. “The dead miko has been nothing but pain for you both. This newest development is perhaps the worst of all. But you have each other, and you would do well to remember that.” He nodded to Kagome. “Miko.”

Kagome looked up at him. “Yes?”

“This Sesshomaru understands that his son-in-law wishes to help you with meditation again.”

“Like hell that’s going to happen right now—”

“—and this Sesshomaru agrees with the monk,” Sesshomaru continued, ignoring his brother’s protests. “It may give you peace of mind, miko. He will be here tomorrow, with help.”

“Thank you, Sesshomaru,” breathed Kagome. Inuyasha went to protest, but he felt how the promise of training eased his mate’s mind and soul. He gripped her tighter in his arms.

“Again, remember that you have each other,” Sesshomaru repeated. Then, with one flick of his wrist, he was gone.

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other, their eyes searching each other out. Inuyasha’s eyes were dark, angry, and fearful; Kagome’s were desperate and full of love. She reached up and pressed her lips tentatively to his. For a dreadful second, he stayed stiff against her touch. Then, he collapsed into her, his lips crushing hers, full of all the anger and love and sadness and devotion he felt in that moment.

She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. “It’s okay, anata,” she said softly. “I’ve got you.” The pup began to mewl from her napper. Kagome smiled softly. “We’ve both got you.”

Inuyasha retrieved the pup from her napper and held her in one arm, Kagome in the other. His heart was full of so many things in that moment it was impossible to express all that was in it. Instead, he kissed his pup between her tiny dark ears, and then he kissed his wife in the same spot on her head.

“I know,” he said. “Thank you.”

* * *

The sunlight shone faintly through the sudare in Inuyasha and Kagome’s bedroom, casting a soft glow across their mattress and onto the tatami floor. Inuyasha lay awake, his mate beside him, their pup between them, both fast asleep. Fuck, he loved watching them sleep. If only the reason for their late dozing wasn’t him.

It had been a rough night. The pup sensed Kagome’s sadness, and Inuyasha’s anger, and had a hard time settling down. Kagome ended up nursing Morika most of the night, and when the pup wasn’t nursing, Inuyasha took over so Kagome could get at least a little sleep.

Even though she wasn’t fully vocalizing yet, Inuyasha could tell the pup was angry with him. Her little eyes tracked him carefully, letting out tiny mewls of dissatisfaction whenever he held her. He tried to calm her, to say he was sorry for upsetting her mother, but Morika was stubborn, even at just a few weeks old. So the little time Inuyasha spent with his pup that night was her grunting and twisting in his arms, while he rocked her gently and whispered words of love and sweetness.

Overall, he felt like shit.

Towards morning, Kagome had given up sitting in the recliner with the pup and just took her to bed. She nursed laying on her side, the pup suckling greedily as usual, until they both fell asleep from the exhaustion. At that point, Inuyasha felt comfortable joining them in bed, but he made no effort to sleep, opting instead to watch his mate and pup sleep, finally peaceful, after a night of hell caused by him.

Over the past twelve hours or so, Inuyasha had thought a lot about what Sesshomaru had said before he left. Of course Inuyasha knew he was the fucking luckiest guy in the world to have found Kagome. She loved him—all of him—and had mated and married him (once before the government, and once before the gods). She’d borne him a perfect pup. She was strong, and fiercely protective of those she loved. Which was why it made sense that she would try so hard to hide her visions from him. And how did he repay that love and protection? By punching holes in their bedroom walls; by almost going full youkai on her (looking back, he was so fucking grateful Sesshomaru had been there to protect her); and last night, by getting lost in his own feelings (again) without any concern for hers or the pup’s.

He knew in his heart of hearts he had to let Kikyo go. And on the surface, and maybe even a little bit further down, he’d done that. But each of those visions Kagome had seemed to cut right through his core, vicious and searing as a paper cut. He’d mourned Kikyo, and he’d accepted the place she would always hold in his heart. But learning about her life before they met? This was some kind of new fresh hell, and it had kept him from fully enjoying what should have been the happiest time of _his_ life.

Inuyasha sighed and looked down at his sleeping pup, running his hand gently over her tiny ears. She was so goddamn perfect, and he loved her so much he thought his fucking heart would burst. He once thought he had loved Kikyo; Kagome had shown him what love really was. And now, looking at his pup, he knew how to direct that love. He just wished that he had the ability to give her all the love that he felt for her in his heart, but Kikyo was (once again) getting in the way of that. He needed to find a way to fully, completely, move on, so that these visions wouldn't continue to cloud his judgement and get in the way of his love for his little family.

His eyes then fell on his mate. He whined silently at the sight of the dark circles under her eyes, at her ragged breathing, at her tangled hair. He knew the early days of motherhood weren’t easy on anyone, but he felt like Kagome’d had it especially hard, between the visions and a grumpy, erratic hanyou mate, and the normal adjustments one has to make to parenthood.

He moved his hand from his pup to his mate, brushing some stray hairs out of Kagome’s face. “I’m gonna make it all up to you, koi,” he whispered. “Hopefully sooner rather than later.”

At the feel of his hand Kagome opened her eyes. She saw him watching her and smiled. He brought his hand down to caress her cheek and she nuzzled his hand.

“Did you sleep, Inuyasha?” she asked in a voice still thick and drowsy.

Inuyasha felt a hitch in his breath. “How could I, ‘Gome?” he replied.

She smiled and moved to kiss his hand; his chest rumbled pleasantly at the contact.

“You need to stop blaming yourself, mate,” she mumbled sleepily into his hand. “I love you, no matter what.” She opened her eyes fully and looked up at him, her brown eyes warm and inviting.

“Keh.”

“And whatever you’re feeling, you need to tell me, so that we can get through it together, okay? I don’t like you keeping your feelings bottled up, even if it’s anger.”

Inuyasha forced out a quiet laugh. “Mate, I hardly think the problem is that I’m keeping my feelings bottled up.”

“That’s not what I mean.” Kagome’s voice was quiet. Inuyasha looked at her, surprised.

“I think you haven’t been fully honest with me about Kikyo,” she said, just as quiet.

Now his eyebrows were shooting up into his hair.

“You say you are over her, and that you love only me,” she continued, just as quietly so as to not wake up the pup. “But yet look at how you’ve acted since my visions started.” She paused. “Like a jealous lover.”

That one went right through his gut. Inuyasha’s ears flattened.

“But if you would just _talk to me_ ,” she pleaded, “and tell me that you may have mourned her, and you might love me and only me now, but that my visions are bringing some unresolved feelings to the surface, it…it might…it might help.” At his silence, she kept talking, her voice taking on a panicked edge. “And for the record, I don’t love you any less, or feel any less secure in your love for me.” He sighed and ran his thumb over her cheek. “It’s been a huge shock for all of us,” she continued, “but most of all for you. Or maybe you need to talk to someone who’s not me. Like Mama. Or your brother. Or Hideaki.”

“Like fucking hell I’ll talk to the monk or my brother,” he growled.

“Then _someone_ , Inuyasha,” Kagome begged, “because what if I have another vision, and you can’t take it, and you lose control?”

“You’re afraid I’ll hurt you.” Now he got it.

“No, anata,” she said tenderly, now sitting up and leaning over the pup to run her hands through his hair, landing at his ears and massaging them gently. “Never me. I’m afraid you’ll hurt yourself.”

Inuyasha felt a rush of love for his mate like he’d never felt before. And at that exact moment, the pup began twisting and turning fitfully, her mouth opening and closing as she came into consciousness. Her golden brown eyes opening, she looked up at her mother and father, who gazed down at her with love.

“Good morning, little one,” cooed Kagome, tickling the pup with the pad of her finger.

“Good morning, pup,” echoed Inuyasha gruffly, reaching down so the pup could grasp her finger in her hand. He suddently felt another rush of emotions as the pup’s hand fully encircled his finger. He looked at Kagome, eyes glistening.

“We’re your here and now, Inuyasha,” Kagome said, tears forming in the corners of her eyes, too.

“I know,” he said hoarsely, cupping her face with his other hand and stroking her cheek gently. “And I want to do my best to live in this moment, and in every moment, with you, and with our pup. Hopefully she’s the first of many.”

Kagome couldn’t help it; the tears came fast and hard, and Inuyasha scooped up the pup with one hand and pulled his wife into his lap with the other. She tilted her face up to his and he kissed her, soft and tender, full of need and longing and love. He felt her tears on his face through this kiss, and his heart felt as though it would burst: from sadness or joy, he wasn’t sure which. Sad that he’d made her cry. Happy that he’d made her cry. Sad that he kept putting her through this shit. Happy that they’d made it through everything together.

When she broke the kiss, he leaned in and began to lick away the tears that remained. Kagome closed her eyes and sighed. The pup relaxed in her father’s arms; she could tell that everything was all right again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome seem to have come out of this crisis of feelings stronger than ever. Next up: some fluff and love as they celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary <3 Thanks so much to all of you for continuing to read, and stay safe!
> 
> Update: ZOMG YOU GUYS! The Irony of Fate has been nominated for Best Character Portrayal for Inuyasha at the Feudal Connection's 2nd Quarter 2020 Fandom Awards!!! I am so shocked and honored!! This is thanks to all of YOU! I cannot believe this. Thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. There are some incredible writers nominated in this category, and I'm seriously so grateful to even be considered alongside them. If you would like, voting will take place between April 29th and May 12th, and the links to do so can be found on the feudalconnection Tumblr page. You also submit nominations through April 15th. Thank you so much, again!!


	46. Celebrating Our Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome starts her training again, Inuysaha and Kagome enjoy some family time with Morika, and later celebrate their anniversary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and doing well.
> 
> I'm still reeling from our nomination for Best Character Portrayal for Inuyasha in the Feudal Connection's 2Q Awards. Thank you so much again! Once voting is open, I'll post more specific instructions on how to vote, if you've enjoyed this portrayal of Inuyasha.
> 
> To say thanks, here is some InuKag lemony goodness as they celebrate their first anniversary. And some quality InuMori time, too :) Enjoy, everyone!

Getting back into her training was, in fact, the best thing Kagome could have done. The midwife gave her a clean bill of health, her nipples finally got used to breastfeeding (even with an incredibly greedy part-youkai at them all hours of the day), and she was back to meditating and developing her powers. Because she didn’t want to drag Morika all over just yet, Hideaki came to the house almost every day, with another member of the family in tow to serve on pup duty. Rin and her daughters fawned all over the latest member of the family, as did the Higurashi clan. Mama and Rin enjoyed spending time together, watching over the pup while they talked and had tea. Asuka relished in documenting the pup’s milestones, noting each tooth as it came in, each time Morika's vocalizations changed from grunts and whines to yips, and finally, to barks and even a few words. “Ma” and “Pa” came out more like grunts, but Inuyasha and Kagome were elated at her progress.

Kagome was also astonished at how quickly Morika was standing and walking on her own. Human babies generally didn’t start to walk until 9 months or so, but by 3 months Morika was toddling around the cottage. That made it even harder to keep up with her, but Kagome was grateful for the extra exertion. Between that and the kyudo training she’d started with Suzuki-sensei, Kagome was feeling stronger and back to her old self, even if she was sleeping way less than before. The one upshot of so little sleep was that she hadn’t had a vision since the one where she learned Kikyo gave up the baby.

And since their talk the morning that Kagome had restarted her training, she and Inuyasha had grown even closer, if that was possible. He’d made more of an effort to be home, even once the new school semester started. Kagome was taking a leave until January, and he decided to go part-time while she was home. Sesshomaru wasn’t thrilled, but he understood. These days were precious and short, and the young family deserved all the time together they could get.

When Morika’s four-month birthday approached, so too did Inuyasha and Kagome’s first wedding anniversary—of the Shinto wedding, anyway. Mrs. Higurashi and Rin had been conspiring to give the couple some alone time, without a pup around to keep them up all night. They’d worked out a plan, and hopefully Inuyasha and Kagome would be okay with it.

On the afternoon of their anniversary, Inuyasha and Kagome were enjoying some quiet time with Morika. The pup was tumbling about the nursery, getting into the various toys and things that she had acquired from the family over the past few months. Her latest favorite was a gift from Asuka: a shape sorter where the shapes went into a little basket so the pup could take them out and start all over again when she was ready. Morika spent hours matching the shapes, dumping them out, and starting over again. Kagome and Inuyasha sat together in the recliner; Kagome in her mate’s lap, his arms wrapped around her.

“Are you sure you’re okay with not doing anything for our anniversary, mate?” Inuyasha purred in her ear.

Kagome laughed and allowed him to nuzzle her mark. “Just being here with you and Morika is really all that I could ever want.” She pulled away from him for a moment; her eyes were dark and teasing. “Maybe she will even sleep longer tonight. The boost in her daily activity seems to be helping her sleep better.”

A knock at the door took away Inuyasha’s opportunity to respond. Instead, as Kagome stood to answer the door, Inuyasha smacked her bottom playfully. She laughed at him and shook her ass as she headed to answer the door.

Inuyasha whined a little after her, then knelt down the floor with his pup. “Pa!” she said happily, and toddled into his arms.

“Hey, pup,” Inuyasha said hoarsely, holding his daughter close. She reached up and nuzzled his face. He laughed and tickled her gently with his claws, making her laugh too. She leapt over him, crawling over his body as he tried to reach her. When he caught her, he tickled her. She laughed, and then he’d let her escape again.

Their sounds of laughter made Kagome smile as opened the door. “Mama! And Rin-onee-chan!” she said, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Mrs. Higurashi kissed her daughter on the cheek, and Rin squeezed her sister-in-law’s shoulder affectionately. “We’re here to make sure you have a proper anniversary.”

Kagome’s mouth fell open as she saw what her mother was carrying. A picnic basket. Her eyes began to water. “Mama…”

Mrs. Higurashi brushed past her daughter and went into the kitchen, where she set the basket down. “There’s everything you’ll need for dinner,” she said with a smile. She and Rin heard Inuysaha and the pup playing down the hall.

“Inuyasha-otouto has really come into his own as a father, hasn’t he?” commented Rin.

Kagome smiled wistfully. “He’s been doing great.”

“Is something wrong, dear?” her mother asked, sensing a touch of sadness to her daughter’s voice.

Kagome flinched. “Not really, Mama. I’ve just been enjoying being at home with Morika. It’s been such an amazing experience. I’m not sure if I am ready to go back to school in January.”

Mrs. Higurashi pulled her daughter to her. “Every working mom feels that way, dear. But think about the role model Morika will have in you. She will grow up seeing you go to school, and later, to work. She’s going to learn that she can do anything.”

“That’s right,” added Rin. “My own girls were always so interested in my work that they would ask to tag along on any duties that I had to fulfill. It might not seem like I do much,” she said with a wink, “but especially early on, when Sesshomaru-sama and I were first mated, I had to do quite a bit to prove myself as the human mate of the Lord of the West. I was much busier then as compared to now. But I think that if Asuka could still accompany me on tours, she would.”

Kagome smiled and relaxed. They were right. She would be the best role model for her daughter she could possibly be.

“Do I smell Mama’s cooking?” said Inuyasha, coming into the kitchen, the pup perched on his arm. When Morika sighted her grandmother, she whined and Inuyasha passed her off, Mrs. Higurashi cooing at her granddaughter and lightly massaging her ears.

“You do, Inuyasha-otouto,” replied Rin, joining Mrs. Higurashi and chucking the pup gently under her chin.

“Is there a special occasion or something?” he asked, a glint in his eye.

“We’re here as reinforcements,” said Rin, grinning. “We’re taking your pup and leaving you alone to celebrate your anniversary properly.”

“Hold on, hold on,” said Kagome hurriedly. “You can’t just take our pup.”

“Why the hell not, mate?” asked Inuyasha. He was looking at her and the basket, equally hungry for both. Kagome felt herself blushing. “We could definitely use the alone time.”

He wasn’t wrong, but Kagome just felt, so…

“Don’t feel guilty for needing some time away from your pup, dear,” said Mrs. Higurashi gently. “It’s important that you and your husband take some time to reconnect as people who love each other, not just as parents.”

“We’ll be right over at the shrine house,” said Rin excitedly. “Morika-chan will have a sleepover with Granny and Auntie Rin. And we’re going to have so much fun, aren’t we, pup?” she cooed, tickling the pup softly. Morika yipped and jumped from her grandmother’s arms to her aunt’s.

“It still amazes me how like a puppy she is,” commented Mrs. Higurashi.

“That will change as she gets bigger,” promised Rin. “Both my girls were like this. They started out practically puppies, but their human features and dispositions took over as they aged. By the time she’s a year old, she’ll be a more solid mix of her youkai and human sides, although probably slightly more human.”

“Wouldn’t it be much more human?” asked Kagome. “She is a quarter youkai, after all.”

“Youkai blood is tricky, from what I’ve read,” replied Rin thoughtfully. “Inuyasha is a very strong hanyou, and you’re a strong miko. I have no idea what our little Morika-chan will be like as she gets older.” She snuggled the pup, who purred in return. “But I can’t wait to see.”

Inuyasha slipped his arm around Kagome; the sight of Mama and Rin bonding with their pup made them both emotional in ways they couldn’t quite describe.

“Kagome, let’s go pack a bag for Morika-chan,” said Mrs. Higurashi. “I’m sure you’re anxious to get us out of here and start your anniversary.”

Kagome laughed and hugged her mother. “Thank you, Mama. Everything is perfect.”

And it was.

* * *

“I swear, mate, your mama makes the best ramen ever,” Inuyasha said, digging into his second bowl.

Kagome just smiled, leaning forward on the table, watching her mate devour his dinner. She ate her oden bowl more slowly, savoring every bite of a meal she didn’t have to make with a pup strapped to her back. Her mother and Rin had really thought of everything: making their favorite meals, taking Morika’s favorite toys so she wouldn’t miss her parents too much, and the picnic basket.

“What are you thinking, wife?” asked Inuyasha gently.

She leaned over the table. As he looked up at her, surprised, she captured his lips with hers. “You remember the last time we had a picnic, Inuyasha?” she said huskily.

He gaped at her for a moment, then his eyes gleamed in remembrance. He shoved his bowl of ramen aside, the contents of the bowl sloshing over the table, and grabbed her, hauling her over the table so that she was sitting on top on it, facing him. He stood, still at least a foot taller than she, looking down at her with half-lidded eyes.

“What are you saying, Ka-Go-Me?” he asked roughly, grabbing her hips and making her gasp. His forehead came forward to rest against hers. “Do you want a repeat of that night?” He nuzzled her mark, making her moan.

“Ye-e-es,” she breathed, sighing as he began to move his lips over her collarbone. He pulled at the sweater she was wearing; she quickly lifted it over her head before he had a chance to tear it off her body. Once it was gone, his breath hitched as he saw what she was wearing underneath.

It was the lingerie set he’d bought her for her 18th birthday, that she hadn’t worn after their government “wedding” because she didn’t want to have to just take it off again. Sheer black lace, with seams running over her nipples, and little hook-and-eyes down the front of the bra.

“Fuck, woman,” he said, burying his face in her breasts, “I never thought I’d see you in this!”

“I was planning to save it for a special occasion,” she chuckled, “but then you went and got me pregnant. So things got put on hold for a bit.”

He tongued her nipples through the sheer material; she grabbed his hair and moaned his name. Her nipples were still so sensitive, even though she was working on weaning Morika, who was already eagerly eating solid foods. Inuyasha immediately began pulling at her leggings. “I hope I find the matching panties under here,” he panted, now nibbling at one nipple while tweaking the other one.

Kagome instantly lifted her ass off the table and pushed her leggings down. Inuyasha took one look at her panties and almost lost his mind. Little black sheer lace panties, held together on the sides by a thick ribbon, with the same hook-and-eye down the middle as the front of her bra. He quickly worked his way down her stomach and pressed his face between her thighs, Kagome now running her hands through his hair.

Fuck, she smelled so good.

He nuzzled the lace with his nose, enjoying the musky smell of her arousal. She whined as he teased her, running his hands over her thighs, up over her panties.

“Did you want something, mate?” he asked, looking up at her teasingly.

“Just—get—on—with—it,” she panted, running her hands over the table and then over her breasts.

“Your wish is my command,” he grunted, and with one swift motion, he pushed her thighs apart and began nibbling at her through her panties. The movement made Kagome see stars, and she pinched her own nipples in response, breathing out his name at the feel of everything at once.

Seeing Kagome so wanton was having an effect on him. He couldn’t quite describe it, but seeing her in the lingerie, feeling her through it, and watching her touch herself so desperately, made him forget all sense of reason. He shoved the thin material of her underwear aside and dove into her, licking and twirling his tongue as she writhed above him. She hitched her feet up on his shoulders to give him a better angle, and he took full advantage. He moved his tongue up to the small bundle of nerves that gave her so much pleasure, nibbling and sucking as she keened, and carefully inserted first one finger, and then two, into the space previously occupied by his tongue.

Kagome cried out; she couldn’t help it. Normally their lovemaking was on a more more equal footing, but tonight she felt vulnerable and sexy and like she wanted him to have complete control over her. She would let him do whatever he wanted, and she wouldn’t protest.

When his fingers reached her special spot inside, her entire body clenched and spasmed and she climaxed so hard she could feel it. Inuyasha looked up at her, surprised, and withdrew his fingers. She watched as he slowly licked him, grinning deviously, and then raised himself up to kiss her. She tasted herself on his lips, on his tongue, and it made her even wetter.

“Help me down,” she gasped. He was only too happy to oblige.

She looked him up and down; his beautiful face glistening from her juices, his hair wild and unkempt, and his body…

She reached up and moved to yank off his t-shirt. He raised his hands, chuckling as she did so.

“You’re overdressed,” she said.

“Then change that,” he replied.

She carefully undid his jeans, one button at a time, then slipped them down his hips. She took a moment to worship his abs, running her tongue over each dip and crevice. He whined; her tongue was searing hot.

As she moved his jeans down, she slowly and carefully moved to kiss his hips and his thighs, making him even more insane with his desire for her. When she finally moved her lips over the head of his cock, he pulled her up and crushed his lips to hers.

“But…”

“Too late for that,” he grunted. “You owe me later.”

“Fine,” she said smoothly. “Then how about this?”

She turned away from him to face the kitchen counter and leaned forward, slipping her panties off slowly until they fell in a pool around her ankles. She stepped out of them delicately and rested her elbows on the granite, waggling her ass at him. “Bedroom’s too far away,” she added.

He growled and grabbed her hips, running his cock over the juices of her folds. They both groaned at the contact. He howled as he pushed inside her, her insides gripping him as he slid in. She didn’t feel quite as tight as before the pup, but her changing hormones made her even more sensitive to his cock, and more responsive to his touch. The feel of her all around him made his youki howl and his cock throb. He leaned over her, mouthing her back with kisses and nips. He held her with one hip, and reached around to work her tiny nub with her other, tweaking it not-so-gently with his claws.

Kagome’s breath came in short gasps as her mate pounded into her and ran his hands and mouth over her body. She was electric; her skin tingled and her nerves were raw. She was having a hard time not coming apart at the seams. She desperately wanted to make this last. She wanted to feel him, moving inside her, feel his hands all over her, for as long as humanly possible.

But then he pressed even further inside her, catching her ear with his fangs, and whispered, “Come for me, mate.”

So she did.

She shrieked his name into the countertop as the world exploded around her. Flashes of white and pink light from her aura, mixed with the deep blood red of Inuyasha’s youki, swirled around them. Inuyasha took two final pumps into her and then released a guttural howl as he climaxed. Their powers intertwined and caressed them as Inuyasha gently leaned over his mate, holding her close. Kagome rested her head on the kitchen counter, breathing heavily.

“Fuck it all, mate,” said Inuyasha hoarsely, “If that’s not a proper anniversary celebration, I don’t know what is.”

Kagome made to stand and Inuyasha slipped out of her, pulling her close. He nestled his face in her hair, breathing in her scent, as she surveyed the kitchen. Ramen was strewn across the kitchen table, mixed with the remains of her oden. The picnic basket had somehow ended up overturned on the floor, the remainder of its contents spilling out. She started to laugh, like _really_ laugh, holding her sides, her breasts bouncing as she shook.

“What are you—” Inuyasha began, and then he too saw the state of their kitchen, and they laughed together.

“We should clean this up,” Kagome said, going to get a sponge and cleaner.

Inuyasha stopped her. “Let it go until tomorrow, ‘Gome,” he said huskily, his eyes red with desire.

“Inuyasha, what…” her eyes grew wide as he lifted her up.

“Mate,” he said roughly, “the only cleaning that’s going to be happening around here is me. Cleaning you.” And he carried her into the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy anniversary, Inuyasha and Kagome! These two definitely know how to celebrate, right? ; )
> 
> Next up: Kagome trains, Inuyasha puts his foot in his mouth (who's surprised by that?? ), and then meets an old friend. See you soon!


	47. The Return of an Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome trains with Suzuki-sensei, and learns something surprising. Inuyasha meets an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello, friends! I hope that wherever you are, you are doing well and staying safe.
> 
> Up this week: a special someone makes an appearance! Who could it be? ; ) Please enjoy!

Rin and Mrs. Higurashi returned to Inuyasha and Kagome dutifully cleaning the kitchen the next morning. They were understandably surprised, but while Mrs. Higurashi seemed unclear on what had happened, Rin took one look at her in-laws and knew _exactly_ what had transpired the night before…and probably into the wee hours of the morning, too.

Kagome was pink-cheeked and grinning, humming as she mopped the floor. And Inuyasha was noticeably much more pleasant than usual, wiping down the kitchen table and the chairs, stopping every so often to kiss his mate, who greedily accepted every affectionate gesture.

“They needed this, Oba-sama,” whispered Rin to Mrs. Higurashi as Morika toddled across the wet kitchen floor, slipping a little on the tile. Her mother scooped her up and held her close as the pup vocalized her greeting for her parents. “You can see it; they’ve solidified their bond.”

Mrs. Higurashi sighed. “So important with little pups around,” she added in a soft tone. “What are your plans for today, Kagome dear?” she asked her daughter in a louder voice.

Kagome paused her nuzzling of her daughter. “Suzuki-sensei is coming over today to help me train. I want to be in top form when I start up on the team again in January.”

“That’s awfully kind of her to keep working with you, even after you’ve graduated,” Rin commented.

“I agree,” said Inuyasha. “What’s in it for her?”

Kagome frowned. “Suzuki-sensei has been very kind to me,” she protested. “I would imagine that my success makes her look good. Maybe she wants to coach college or professionally at some point. It helps to say you’ve trained the top kyudoka in the country.”

“Mate, you’re not…” Inuyasha started, then wilted under Kagome’s murderous gaze.

“Come on, pup,” said Kagome to their daughter, “let’s go get dressed in our gi so that we’re ready when Suzuki-sensei gets here.” She carried their daughter out of the room, pointedly ignoring her mate.

“Nice one, Inuyasha-otouto,” said Rin. “You never learn, do you?”

Inuyasha grumbled. “Go talk to her, little brother,” advised Rin with a little tease in her voice. “Make it right before you leave for the manor.”

Inuyasha nodded and left. Rin turned to Mrs. Higurashi. “Are you staying to watch the pup today?”

“I hadn’t planned on it,” Mrs. Higurashi said. “I’ve got to clean up after Typhoon Morika-chan hit yesterday, I have some groceries to buy, and I need to do the monthly expenses. But if Kagome asks me, I’ll stay.”

“I need to get back to the manor,” Rin said. “I’ll have Inuyasha drive me in a bit.”

“Of course, my Lady,” replied Mrs. Higurashi. “And thanks for all your help last night.” Rin winked in response.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha had followed Kagome into their bedroom. She’d set Morika down, and the pup was currently prowling through a pile of dirty clothes on the floor, so that Kagome could get dressed for her training with Suzuki-sensei. Inuyasha picked up the pup and nestled her in the crook of his arm; she sat upright, her golden chocolate eyes watching her parents carefully.

“I’m sorry, mate,” said Inuyasha, his ears flat against his head. “I shouldn’t doubt you or your abilities.”

To his surprise, Kagome smiled. “It’s okay, really,” she said, reaching up to kiss him. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Really?”

Her smile grew wider. “Really.”

He leaned over and kissed her back, their pup whining in his arms and calling for “Ma.” Kagome smiled and took Morika into her arms; their pup licked her mother's cheek and sighed contentedly.

“I have to go see my brother,” Inuyasha said. “I’ll be back later this afternoon. Hopefully before 5.”

“That’s fine,” Kagome replied. “After I finish training, I think Morika and I will take a little nap, right, pup?” she said to their daughter. Morika nodded and licked Kagome’s face again. “Ma,” Morika said.

“That’s right,” Kagome replied with a soft smile. “I’m your Ma.”

Inuyasha’s heart felt as though it might burst. He pulled them both in close and held them, gently inhaling in their scents as though he might never smell them again.

“You don’t have to hold us so tightly, anata,” murmured Kagome. “We’re not going anywhere.”

“I know that, mate,” Inuyasha replied. “But you and the pup just smell so fucking good.” Kagome shot him a Look. “I’m sorry,” he added, “but you do.”

“Just be careful and say hello to everyone at the manor for me,” she said, kissing him softly.

“I will. And you be careful too,” he said. “Don’t purify anybody.”

She laughed, a beautiful, tinkling laugh. “I’ll try my best, mate.”

Inuyasha kissed her again and left the bedroom, Kagome watching him carefully, thoughtful. Morika whined in her arms. “I know, pup, I know,” Kagome said to her daughter.

“Pa,” Morika said.

“Yes, your Pa,” replied Kagome, nuzzling Morika between the ears.

* * *

“Excellent job with your technique this time, Higurashi,” called Suzuki-sensei, watching Kagome’s form carefully.

Kagome grinned. “I take that as the highest of compliments, Sensei, considering that you always criticized my hassetsu the most.”

Suzuki-sensei smiled and shifted Morika in her arms. Morika whined, and Suzuki-sensei set her down, watching fondly as the pup ambled about the courtyard. “What can I say?” she shrugged. “Seeing you as a mother has softened me a bit.”

Kagome laughed and went to stand by her coach and friend. Together they watched Morika toddle around, looking under rocks and pulling up the grass.

“She’s really grown, hasn’t she?” said Suzuki-sensei. “Should she even be walking at this point?”

Kagome gasped inwardly. _Oh, fuck_. She hadn’t even thought about that.

“But then,” said Suzuki-sensei slowly, “your husband isn’t exactly human, is he?”

Kagome whirled around to face her former coach. “What do you mean?”

Suzuki-sensei laughed, but not unkindly. “How many people have hair that long and that shade of silver, who are also 21 years old?” she asked. “What kind of youkai is he?”

“How long have you known?” asked Kagome, fearing the worst.

Suzuki-sensei reached forward and patted Kagome on the shoulder. “Your secret is safe with me, Higurashi. I am a little bit youkai, too, way back in the family tree.”

Kagome relaxed a little. “But you look completely human.”

Suzuki-sensei laughed again. “Way back, Higurashi. It’s some kind of bug youkai; I’m not even 100% sure exactly what kind.”

Kagome felt herself relax even more. “He’s inu hanyou.”

“A hanyou, eh?” Suzuki-sensei said interestedly. “I don’t know if I’ve ever met a straight-up hanyou before. That explains his good looks,” she added teasingly.

“Sensei!” exclaimed Kagome, turning red.

“Seriously, though, Higurashi,” continued Suzuki-sensei, “it’s clear he adores you, and your child. So whatever he is, if he makes you happy, then that’s all that matters.”

Kagome could have hugged her prickly former coach. “Thank you, Sensei,” she said instead, bowing deeply.

Suzuki-sensei pulled her upright. “Come, now,” she said thickly, “none of that. Let’s collect the child. I’ll watch her while you get cleaned up.”

“Actually, if it’s all right with you, I think I’ll lay her down first,” Kagome said. “This way she won’t get fussy if I’m not there. She sometimes does.”

“Lead the way, Higurashi,” said Suzuki-sensei. “I have no plans today. My time is yours.”

Kagome smiled and called for her pup. Morika perked up, her ears hidden under her hat, and toddled over to her mother. “Ma,” she said.

“Yes, Morika,” Kagome said, “I’m your Ma.” She held out her arms and Morika jumped into them willingly.

“Ma,” she said again, cuddling against Kagome.

“That’s right, my good little pup,” said Kagome softly. “Let’s go night-night, okay?”

The pup snuggled in closer, and Kagome’s heart had never felt fuller or more complete.

* * *

Inuyasha groaned as Sesshomaru droned on and on about the latest developments in kitsune-inu relations and the safety of the Western borders. He knew he was supposed to be paying attention, but honestly, he just wanted to be home with his mate and his pup. The last few weeks, since they had cleared the air about Kikyo, and he had all but admitted his unresolved feelings, it was funny…those feelings ended up resolving themselves. Kagome and (he hated to admit this) his brother were right: Kikyo was his past, and whatever she had done before they met had no effect on the here and now. He was going to enjoy his life and love his little family.

He smirked as he thought back to the night before. He was kind of hoping he’d pupped Kagome again. He knew it was really soon, and she would probably want to start using protection now that their sex life was picking up again, but he was just feeling like he wanted to keep her home and pupped for awhile. He knew it wasn’t fair to her—dammit, he knew that!—but his youki was so satisfied to be around her and the pup, basically all the time. It just wanted to do nothing but fuck her and pup her, all day, every day.

“Little brother?” intoned Sesshomaru.

“Huh?” Inuyasha looked up.

“If this conversation is boring you, perhaps we should change the subject.” Sesshomaru pushed his paperwork aside and began filing his claws.

“I’m sorry, Sess,” said Inuyasha, “just a lot on my mind.”

“So it would seem,” his brother replied, looking right at him. Inuyasha knew Sesshomaru could tell what he’d been thinking about, and he didn’t seem pleased.

“Allow me to offer you something that may be of interest,” Sesshomaru continued, sliding a file across the table to him.

Inuyasha opened the file, and looked at it, surprised. “Why are you showing me this?”

“When the miko’s visions started, she came to me to ask for help. She wanted proof that they were real.”

“I know that,” Inuyasha said impatiently. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“As you know, this Sesshomaru is well-connected, even more so than you would believe.” He pressed a button on his intercom. “You may send the visitor in.” Sesshomaru looked back at his brother, his face neutral. “You will want to hear what our visitor has to say, little brother.”

The door opened, and Inuyasha looked up in shock. It was a seven-tailed kitsune; tall, and refined, but with a face Inuyasha would recognize anywhere.

“ _SHIPPOU._ ”

Shippou’s face was hard, but his eyes smiled kindly as Inuyasha gaped. “Hello, Inuyasha,” he said. “We have much to discuss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, someone of you correctly guessed that it would be Shippou popping back into Inuyasha's life? But, why is Shippou here, and what has taken him so long to make his appearance? Find out in the next update, coming this weekend! And as always, thanks to all of you so much for reading <3


	48. Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The unthinkable happens. Shippou and Inuyasha tell Kagome everything, and Inuyasha and Kagome make plans and try to hold it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime. Everyone else is mine.
> 
> Hello all! As always, I hope that you are safe and doing well. Today I have an extra-long chapter prepared for you, with lots of revelations and exposition thanks to Shippou ^_^ Please enjoy!

Kagome opened her eyes, the world groggily coming into focus. Where was she? Had she fallen asleep so hard? Was she that tired?

She tried to remember what had happened. They came back from training; Kagome laid Morika down for her nap. Then she showered and dressed, and Suzuki-sensei had prepared tea. They were sitting, talking about this and that. That was the last thing she remembered.

Kagome sat up. _Morika_.

She rushed to the nursery, where she’d laid the pup down for her nap. She looked in the crib, but it was empty.

 _The pup was gone_.

_How could that be?_

_Where could she be?_

Frantically, Kagome ran through the house, checking all the rooms, all the nooks and crevices where a pup might hide, calling her daughter’s name. But nothing. The pup was absolutely nowhere in the house, and if she was, she was hiding so well that something must have happened to her. And she wasn’t tall enough to reach the doors. She couldn’t have escaped and gone outside.

Kagome's first phone call was to her mother.

“Mama?” Kagome tried to hide the fear in her voice.

“Kagome? What’s wrong?”

“Mama.” She was trying _so_ hard to stay calm. “Mama, did you come by and pick up Morika this afternoon?”

“What?” her mother said.

“Mama, do you have my daughter?” Kagome finally found the right words.

“Kagome, dear,” her mother replied. “I haven’t seen you or Morika-chan since this morning. Is everything all right?”

“I think—I think,” Kagome whispered. “I think she’s missing.”

Kagome heard her mother’s breath hitch. “I’ll call Inuyasha,” Mrs. Higurashi said immediately. “And I’ll be right there.”

“No need to call him,” Kagome answered lamely, feeling her mate’s youki approaching. “He’s on his way.”

Kagome sat back down on the couch, numb. How could this have happened? Who would take their daughter?

She felt Inuyasha approach the cottage even before she heard him. His youki was fierce, and it was blind with worry for her. She thought about throwing up a barrier just in case, but knew it wouldn’t stop him.

He was going to kill her for losing their pup.

Soon enough, Inuyasha burst through the front door of the house. “Kagome!” he yelled. “Kagome!”

He saw her sitting on the couch, perfectly stiff and not moving. Her eyes were bloodshot and glassy. He rushed to her side, taking her into his arms.

“What’s the matter, koi?” he asked gently. “I could feel your terror all the way over at the manor. I practically flew here.”

“Inuyasha,” she whispered, burying her face in his chest. He tightened his grip around her.

“Mate?” he asked tentatively. “What is going on?”

“Morika,” she breathed, then turned, and vomited all over the chabudai.

“Kagome!” he shouted. She continued to empty her stomach on the low table, and all he could do was rub her back. What was going on? Had something happened to the pup? He was trying to get a bead on her emotions, but she was wracked with fear, and horror, and unspeakable grief. Whatever happened, or whatever she _thought_ had happened, it was really, really, fucking bad. Once Kagome had vomited up all she could, she continued to dry heave, gasping for air and croaking out “Morika” and “I’m sorry” over and over. Inuyasha tried to get his own emotions under control, but Kagome was influencing him too heavily. He felt as though he might also start puking, the waves of nausea coming from his mate were so great.

“Kagome!” Mrs. Higurashi ran through the open door, Sesshomaru, Rin, and Jaken close behind her. She knelt beside her weeping, gasping, daughter.

“Mama,” Kagome wailed, and threw her arms around her mother. Mrs. Higurashi held her daughter tightly.

“Do you know what she’s saying, Mama?” asked Inuyasha frantically.

“She called me about fifteen minutes ago to say that Morika was missing from her crib,” Mrs. Higurashi replied, rubbing Kagome’s back as she hicupped and sobbed.

“I’ll get some rags to clean up,” said Rin grimly as Inuyasha and Sesshomaru exchanged a look. Inuyasha’s look was horrified; Sesshomaru’s was concerned.

“Go,” Sesshomaru said to his brother. Inuyasha ran to the nursery.

Kagome was right. The pup wasn’t there.

He quickly scented the air. She had been there, and not terribly long before; there was another scent too, one that was familiar. The scents were mixed together.

Inuyasha wanted to slam his fist into the wall, into the floor—anywhere he could reach. He fell to his knees, growled, and grabbed his hair with both hands, the pain keeping him grounded. He had to keep a cool head. For Kagome, and for their pup.

Because Inuyasha knew exactly what had happened. Now he just had to figure out why.

He slowly rose and followed the scents back through the living room, past his weeping mate, and out the front door. The trail was thick; it hadn’t been that long since they’d passed this way. He raced across the courtyard, scenting his pup the whole time. The trail led him someplace surprising; he needed Sesshomaru. He needed his nephew.

Inuyasha turned and went back to the cottage. There, Mrs. Higurashi was holding Kagome, who had stopped crying and was now practically catatonic. Inuyasha’s youki whined at the sight, but he couldn’t go to his mate just yet. His pup was in danger. He needed to figure out what to do.

“We need Hideaki,” Inuyasha said to Sesshomaru in a low tone. “Send for him and Shippou.” Sesshomaru nodded; he turned to Jaken, who immediately was on the phone, calling Hideaki. “In the meantime, Sess, come with me.” Sesshomaru followed his brother outside, across the courtyard, to the shed that housed the Bone Eater’s Well. Inuyasha opened the door to the shed; the lid that kept the well closed was thrown off. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru approached it silently, listening intently for the presence of anyone else.

“No one is here, little brother,” Sesshomaru said.

“No, but…” Inuyasha pointed to the rim of the well. “Someone was here. And they left a calling card.”

Sesshomaru followed his brother’s finger, and blanched at what he saw. Then he let out a sigh.

“So _that_ was her plan all along,” he breathed.

“We have to figure out how the fuck to get through this well,” Inuyasha said. “My daughter is there, and so is the bitch who took her.”

* * *

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru met Hideaki and Shippou in front of the cottage.

“Thanks for coming,” said Inuyasha shortly.

“I’m sorry about the pup,” said Hideaki.

“You can help us first and be sorry later,” Inuyasha said. “Sess, please take him to the well.” He turned to Shippou. “You and I need to talk to Kagome.”

Sesshomaru nodded and led Hideaki back in the direction of the shed. Inuyasha watched them go for a moment, then felt Shippou’s hand on his arm. “Are you sure this is the best idea right now, Inuyasha?” he asked softly. Inuyasha’s heart caught. He hadn’t thought about that. Could she think he was suggesting that they replace one child with another? Could she freak out and become furious with Shippou, and maybe even with him, for keeping Shippou's whereabouts a secret? It could go very, very wrong. But he needed Shippou to fill in the blanks that he wasn’t completely clear on just yet. And regardless, once Kagome heard what they knew, she was going to need them both.

“Stay out here a minute,” he murmured, then took a deep breath and opened the cottage door.

Kagome, her mother, and Rin sat together on the couch. Mrs. Higurashi was rubbing Kagome’s back gently while Rin held her hand. Kagome sat, staring straight ahead, not moving.

“Kagome,” Inuyasha said urgently pushing aside the chabudai and kneeling in front of his mate, ignoring that the tatami was still damp from having just been cleaned. “Kagome,” he said again.

Kagome’s eyes were large and unblinking. He reached up and caressed her face. “Mate?” he tried.

Her eyes finally blinked, and, as though coming into focus, settled on Inuyasha. “How can you still be here?” she breathed.

His ears twitched. What the fuck?

“Don’t you hate me?” she said softly, in a voice he didn’t quite recognize. “I lost our pup.”

He let out a breath. “Oh, mate,” he said, leaning forward and taking her into his arms, “I don’t hate you. I could never hate you. What happened here today was not your fault.”

“How could I fall asleep and leave all the doors unlocked?” she whispered against his chest. “How could I be so irresponsible?”

“Like Inuyasha said, Kagome,” said a voice from the doorway, “this isn’t your fault. In fact, I’d say this person has been planning this moment for a long time. Close to 500 years, in fact.”

At the sound of the new voice everyone’s head swiveled to the door. Inuyasha smiled tightly; so did Rin. Kagome’s eyes grew wide as she took in the profile before her: seven-tailed kitsune, red hair, light green eyes. The kitsune smiled as he watched her look him over.

“I’m sorry I stayed away so long,” he said, running his hand through his hair awkwardly. “I’ve been on assignment and no one could know where I was, or that I was even alive.”

Kagome pulled out of Inuyasha’s grasp to stand. She kept a hand on his shoulder to steady herself. “Shippou-chan?” she asked. He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. She let go of Inuyasha and flung herself at the kitsune; he opened her arms and she fell into them, sobbing.

“Why are you here now?” she wailed. “Why now? I’ve missed you so much! I thought—I thought—”

“I can only imagine what you must have thought, Kagome,” he said, holding her tightly. “I’m sorry too. I wish I could have told you I was here.”

“But why couldn’t you?” she sobbed, pulling away and holding him at arm’s length. “I thought you thought I’d abandoned you! I left without even saying goodbye!”

Shippou smiled at her. “I was mad, you bet. But in the end, I knew why you had to go. That you belonged to a time other than ours.” He brushed the hair back from her forehead. “And now I’m here because I need to tell you something. It’s about your pup. And Suzuki Kyoka.”

“Wait, what?” said Kagome, dropping her grip on Shippou and looking from him to Inuyasha. “What do you mean?”

“Mate,” said Inuyasha gruffly, “I think you better sit down.”

“Like _hell_ I’m going to sit!” she shrieked. “Someone tell me what the _fuck_ is going on here!”

“Kagome.” It was her mother.

“Mama, I’m sorry,” said Kagome unapologetically. “My pup is missing, and Shippou-chan shows up and says he has something to tell me? About Suzuki-sensei? What kind of insanity is this?”

“It’s dark magic, Kagome-sama,” said Hideaki, coming through the open front door, Sesshomaru close behind. “I would advise you as well to please sit.”

Kagome huffed and went back to the couch. “Fine,” she said, “I’m sitting. And _waiting_.”

Inuyasha cleared his throat. “The visions you were having, mate.”

“What about them?”

He paused. “They were real.”

Her eyes grew wide. “They were?”

He knelt before her again and leaned forward, his forehead touching hers. “ _All_ of them.”

Kagome leaned against her mate for a moment, taking it all in. Then she sat back up straight, her eyes wide. “ _All_ of them?”

Inuyasha nodded.

“How—how do you know?”

“After we discussed the vision about Kikyo being pregnant,” Sesshomaru said, “This Sesshomaru called Shippou. He had been on assignment for this one, but the matter was urgent and his expertise was required.”

“So, wait,” Kagome said slowly, looking at Sesshomaru as if seeing him for the first time, “you’ve known Shippou was alive all this time?”

“Yes.” The answer was concise and frank.

“But when Inuyasha asked for your help finding him, you made like you didn’t know?” Kagome’s face was turning red; from anger or embarrassment, it wasn’t quite clear.

“The kitsune has been on a precarious mission for me, miko,” replied Sesshomaru. “No one could know of his existence. _No. One._ ”

“Okay, fine,” huffed Kagome. She turned back to Shippou. “What was the mission you were on for Sesshomaru, anyway?”

Shippou turned red and sputtered. “I—I—I can’t say, Kagome. I’m sorry.”

“Then can you tell me why you’re here now?”

“Because Sesshomaru had a job for me,” Shippou replied.

“And that job has to do with Kikyo being pregnant?”

Shippou looked away from her and towards Sesshomaru. The Lord of the West nodded. “Yes,” Shippou whispered.

“Well, why don’t you tell me exactly what’s going on!” she exclaimed. “My _pup_ is out there, and I’ve got to find her! What in all the hells do my visions have to do with this?”

“Actually, mate,” said Inuyasha gently, rising and sitting beside her on the couch, “they have everything to do with it.”

Kagome looked at him, surprised. Shippou cleared his throat.

“If I may,” he said. Kagome nodded. Shippou pulled his phone out from his pocket and opened up his notes. “When Sesshomaru called me away from my…previous mission, I was instructed to research the whereabouts of the miko Kikyo about a year before she and Inuyasha fell in love. We knew from Kagome’s visions that she had left the village, leaving Kaede with the headman, for a short while, presumably to have the baby. If Kagome’s visions were real, I should have been able to find proof of the woman Kagome remembered as Imamoto-san.” He paused, scrolling for a second.

“I was able to track the name to a small village about a week’s travel from Edo,” he continued. “Far enough away for Kikyo to not be easily found, and small enough where most likely no one would recognize her. The Imamoto name still exists in ledgers in the town of Maebashi, so I was able to track it back to Sengoku Jidai. I also found record that about the time Kikyo would have been there, a family with the last name of Tendo adopted a little girl. They named her Mai. It was said she was given up by her mother at birth.”

Kagome let out a gasp. Surely it couldn’t be?

“Wait for it,” Inuyasha murmured, taking her hand in his and squeezing it softly. “There’s more.”

“I followed the trail of Tendo Mai for as long as I could,” Shippou said. “It was clear the girl was at least partially youkai, because she seemed to live an abnormally long life. A skilled miko who was successful with a bow. She moved from place to place, but didn’t change her name. It was easy to track her. Then, about 150 years ago, she fell off the map. I could find no record of her anywhere…until reports of a another skilled miko and kyudoka emerged about 15 years ago. In Maebashi. Her name was Suzuki Kyoka.”

Kagome was shaking. Inuyasha put his other arm around her and held her close.

“Apparently this miko-slash-kyudoka has strong family ties to the area, and was looking for information on the Tendo family,” Shippou continued. “The people I spoke to in Maebashi described her as odd, as though she’d been born in another era. She spoke and dressed as though she were an old woman, not the young girl she appeared to be. When she could find no proof that the Tendo family were spriritual, she left. She attended university in Shizuoka, and then took the job as the kyudo coach here not long after.” Shippou looked hard at Kagome. “My research gives me every indication that your kyudo coach is none other than the child of Kikyo and Onigumo.”

“What proof do you have, Shippou-chan?” Kagome asked wildly. “I mean, all you’ve presented is hearsay!”

“True,” said Shippou, “but here’s a daguerreotype of her, around 1870, before she disappeared. I found it in the archives in Maebashi. Look at that and tell me it’s not the same person.”

Kagome took the picture; she and Inuyasha stared at it, hard.

The same long, dark hair in a ponytail; the same dark eyes; the same heart-shaped face and slightly pinched nose; the same straight lips.

It was definitely her.

Kagome felt faint. Or sick. Or enraged. Or everything, all at once. Her aura spiked into a barrier, surrounding her and Inuyasha. Everyone jumped back a few feet.

Inuyasha surrounded her with his youki, trying to calm her down. “It’s okay, mate,” he whispered, over and over, burying his face in her hair. “It’s okay.”

“Okay?” said Kagome slowly. “Okay? Nothing about this is okay, _mate.”_

Inuyasha swallowed. “Kagome—”

“No,” she hissed, pushing on his chest. It was all he could do to keep hold of her. “I brought her into my house. I _trusted_ her! I _cared for her!_ And she takes our pup!” Kagome’s voice was now a heartbreaking combination of laughter and tears; Inuyasha’s eyes grew wet as he felt her pain and anger and desperation through their bond. He continued to hold her, her barrier now throwing off pink sparks.

“Kagome,” said her mother sadly, afraid to reach out to her daughter while she was within her barrier.

“Miko,” said Sesshomaru shortly. “There is more. You must listen.”

“My Lord Father-in-Law is correct, Kagome-sama,” said Hideaki hurriedly. “We know where they went. We know where Suzuki took your pup.”

At this, Kagome sat up. She looked from Hideaki, to Sesshomaru, to Inuyasha. He nodded, desperately tamping down his own youki. He needed to stay under control for his mate. The time for bloodlust would come later.

“Where are they?” asked Kagome in a deadly quiet voice.

“They—” Hideaki looked at Sesshomaru, as if afraid to say.

“They are in Sengoku Jidai, miko,” finished Sesshomaru smoothly. “Suzuki took the pup and disappeared down the Bone Eater’s Well.”

Kagome gasped. “That’s impossible!”

“We know how she did it, Kagome-sama,” said Hideaki.

“And if we hurry, mate,” said Inuyasha, his face set, “we can go after them and get our pup back.”

* * *

Kagome, Inuyasha, Hideaki, Shippou, and Sesshomaru stood around the Bone Eater’s Well, looking down. It seemed as dead as it had been for the past 18 months; there was no indication that it had ever worked.

“Are you sure that they went down the well, Hideaki?” Kagome asked.

“Absolutely, Kagome-sama,” said Hideaki. “Look closely here.”

Kagome’s eyes followed Hideaki’s finger. On the edge of the well, Kagome could see it.

A drop of blood.

“Is that what I think it is?” she asked in a low voice, her aura flaring again.

Inuyasha nodded and held her close, his own heart thumping painfully in his chest. “It’s our pup’s blood.”

Kagome screamed: a feral, guttural scream as she collapsed onto Inuyasha. He held her tightly as her screamed and screamed and screamed. Shippou made to reach out to her, but Inuyasha growled at him, causing Shippou to drop his hand. Inuyasha nestled face close to Kagome’s and put his lips beside her ear.

“Mate,” whispered Inuyasha, “mate. Please, please get a hold of yourself. We don’t have a lot of time. I _need you_.”

At his words, Kagome grew quiet. He was right. She had to get her shit together. For her daughter. She gave herself a few deep breaths to bring her sanity, however tenuous, back. She looked up at Hideaki; his eyes were sympathetic, but he started to explain.

“Inuyasha-sama and my Lord Father-in-Law discovered the blood a short time ago and confirmed it is Morika’s,” Hideaki said. “My best guess—and I think it’s a damn good one—is that Suzuki used Morika’s blood to activate the well.”

“But if she wanted to go through the well, why not just take what she needed and leave my daughter here?” Kagome asked in a shuddering voice.

“This is why time is of the essence, Kagome-sama,” replied Hideaki. “She clearly has deeper intentions for your pup.”

“What else could she possibly want her for, Hideaki?” asked Kagome, trying desperately not to lose it again.

Hideaki hesitated. He looked at Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. The three of them seemed to be deciding who would be the one to tell her.

“Oh, fuck you guys,” said Shippou suddenly, drawing Kagome’s attention at his use of the curse. “Kagome, we think that maybe she’s going to use your pup to try and resurrect Naraku.”

Kagome’s eyes went wide. Slowly, she looked at each man. Their faces were hard and resolute. Inuyasha’s golden eyes burned with the depths of his emotions: anger, fear, bloodlust. As she gazed into her mate’s eyes, she knew they all believed this to be true; or at the very least, a real possibility. She took a very, very deep breath.

“Okay,” she said at last. “How do we get down the well?”

“Easy,” said Hideaki. He paused. “Well, maybe it’s easy.”

Kagome raised one eyebrow at him. He coughed lightly.

“Suzuki wanted your blood, that’s clear,” he said. “She wanted the blood of you both, though, which is why she wanted Morika. However, she didn’t know that she didn’t need both of you to provide blood in order for this to work.” He paused. “She only needed _one_ of you.”

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other, clearly surprised. “What do you mean by that, monk?” Inuyasha demanded.

“The mating ritual you and the miko completed,” Sesshomaru said. “You took each other’s blood, did you not?”

Inuyasha and Kagome nodded.

“Then you each have the other’s blood in your systems,” he said. “You are fully one and united. If she had known about the mating ritual, she might have realized that she didn’t need you both.”

“Then she would have gone after Kagome, not the pup,” growled Inuyasha. That was not a better option.

“But it also means that we only need one of you to open the well,” Hideaki said meaningfully.

Inuyasha looked at him for a long moment, then turned his gaze to his mate. Her chocolate brown eyes took him in, watching in horror as he held out his arm and made to tear into it with his claws.

“Wait, Inuyasha…” Kagome began.

“Wait, what, mate?” Inuyasha said harshly. “This is the only way. I’ll be fine in an hour. You’d be wounded and unable to fight.”

“You’re right,” she said immediately. “I just meant that we shouldn’t go into this blindly. I need my bow and quiver. You need the fire-rat. We need supplies.”

Inuyasha’s hand paused over the inside of his arm. He looked up at her, his amber eyes fiery with love for her. She was smart, but more importantly, she was fucking _right_.

“Fifteen minutes,” he croaked out. “We leave in fifteen minutes.” She nodded and ran towards the cottage, presumably to change and get supplies.

Inuyasha paused for a moment. He looked at Hideaki, Shippou, and Sesshomaru.

“Thank you,” he said. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us. You’ve given us enough information that we won’t be that far behind that witch.”

Shippou’s eyes burned bright with tears. “I wish we had figured this all out a little sooner, Inuyasha,” he said softly. “We might have been able to stop her.”

Inuyasha leaned forward and ruffled Shippou’s hair, as though he were still the older one. “Maybe so,” he said gruffly, “but you’ve given us enough information that we’ll be able to get to her quickly, and get our pup back. So, thank you.”

Shippou blushed under Inuyasha’s show of affection, tears spilling over. “Inuyasha,” he said, his voice choked with emotion.

“Little brother, you must hurry,” Sesshomaru urged. Inuyasha pulled his hand back as though he’d been shocked. “Yes,” he murmured. He looked around again, once more, and ran towards the cottage after his mate.

“Do you think they’ll get to Morika-chan in time, my Lord?” asked Hideaki.

Sesshomaru was quiet for a moment. “One can only hope, Son-in-Law,” he replied.

* * *

Kagome and Inuyasha stood at the edge of the Bone Eater’s Well, staring down. Their families stood around them. Mrs. Higurashi and Rin had put together an impressive collection of supplies, ranging from packets of ramen, to water bottles and granola bars, to ibuprofen, heating and cooling packs, and assorted bandages. Kagome had left her old yellow backpack in Sengoku Jidai, so she filled her new backpack to the hilt. Anything left she put into a small fanny pack that was ugly, but served its purpose.

Inuyasha had simply donned his old fire-rat haori and hakama, but Kagome dressed in jeans, a leather jacket, and hiking boots. She made sure to pack a few pairs of underwear and socks, and several long-sleeved shirts; she didn’t know how long they’d be gone, and she needed to be prepared.

Mrs. Higurashi, meanwhile, was trying very hard not to cry. She was the only one who hadn’t been alive in Sengoku Jidai, and she had spent the past year learning about just how much danger her daughter had been in. She knew that Kagome had Inuyasha to protect her, and that she had worked so hard on her own training, but Mrs. Higurashi still worried that something could go terribly wrong. She couldn’t let Kagome know about her fears, though. There was no reason to make her daughter worry unnecessarily.

Kagome looked around at her family. She had finally adjusted to being back, and now she was being forced to return to the past to save her future. Kikyo and Onigumo’s legacy had taken hers and Inuyasha’s. The irony of the entire situation wasn’t lost on her.

Grimly, Kagome hugged Souta and Jii-chan, and turned to her mother.

“Mama,” she said.

“Kagome,” her mother replied, folding her daughter into her arms. “Be careful.”

“Mama,” said Kagome, inhaling her mother’s scent and trying to imprint it, as she imagined Morika had done so many times. Her breath caught at the thought of her daughter. “I’ll be careful,” she continued in a quavery voice.

Mrs. Higurashi held her daughter at arm’s length. “You’re going to be okay, dear,” she said firmly. “You and your daughter. Inuyasha-kun will protect you. The two of you are the best team.”

Kagome choked back a sob. “We are, Mama.” She then turned to Rin, who hugged her closely.

“See you in the past, Kagome-chan,” Rin whispered.

“See you in the past, Rin-onee-chan,” Kagome replied.

She turned to Hideaki next. “Say hello to my parents for me,” he said quietly.

Kagome took his hands in hers and squeezed them. “I will,” she said with a smile. “They would be so proud of you, Hideaki-sama.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek; he flushed at her use of the honorific and her display of affection.

Inuyasha growled slightly, and Kagome pulled back. She turned to Shippou.

“I’m sorry I only got to see you in the worst of circumstances,” he said.

She hugged him. “I’ll see you soon, Shippou-chan. I love you.”

“I love you too, Kagome,” he replied, returning her hug tightly before letting her go. Kagome turned to Sesshomaru last.

“Thank you,” she said simply. “For everything.”

“When you see this one’s past self,” he said, “remember that this Sesshomaru was different then. Try to have some patience, miko.”

She nodded. “I have always exerted the utmost patience with you, my Lord,” she replied, “and never once have I been disappointed.”

At last she turned to Inuyasha. “I’m ready,” she said.

Inuyasha looked at everyone, nodding once. His eyes fell on his brother.

“Be careful, Inuyasha,” said Sesshomaru.

“I will, onii-san,” he replied, patting the Tetsusaiga at his side. He pushed up the sleeve of his fire-rat, then raised his other claw high. With a swift movement, he brought it down on his arm; the blood spurted out, running over his claws and down the length of his arm. He looked at Hideaki.

“Pour it over the well,” Hideaki instructed.

Inuyasha held his arm out over the well and squeezed. The blood poured out over the well. Inuyasha grunted as he removed his arm; Kagome wiped the wound clean and bandaged it for him quickly. She blanched at the thought of Suzuki-sensei doing this to her tiny pup.

Then, they waited, leaning over the well.

At first, nothing happened. A minute went by. Then two. Then three. Kagome was starting to think that Hideaki was wrong; that this was not where Suzuki-sensei had taken her pup; that this was not the way to get her back.

Suddenly Inuyasha drew her gaze with his hand. Kagome looked down the well. She could see golden cracks appearing in the dirt at the bottom.

“Get back, everyone,” Inuyasha roared, pushing Kagome down and covering her with his body. Everyone leapt backwards as the golden cracks broke through the dirt and shot upwards into the sky, splintering the roof above the shed. Fragments of wood fell all around them as a great gust of wind came forth from the well, gleaming gold and shining.

“Inuyasha! Kagome-sama!” Hideaki yelled, shielding his head from the falling wood. “Go! Now!”

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome’s hand and paused for a split second to look at her. Kagome’s face was set with a steely resolve; she nodded at him once, and squeezed his hand. Together they climbed to the edge of well, and, in the face of the wind and the shining light, they jumped.

There was a great blast from the well that sounded through the shed like a sonic boom; and, then, the wind flew back into itself, back into the well, sucking the golden light back with it.

And then, silence.

Everyone picked themselves up gingerly off the dirt floor. “Everybody okay?” Hideaki called.

“I think so,” said Shippou, helping Mrs. Higurashi to her feet.

“Kagome and Inuyasha—” breathed Mrs. Higurashi.

“Gone,” said Sesshomaru shortly. “They’re gone.”

Everyone crept forward to peer over the edge of the well. It was totally dark and silent, like it had been for the previous 18 months.

“Do you feel anything, Son-in-Law?” asked Sesshomaru.

Hideaki shook his head. “Nothing, my Lord. They’re gone, and it’s like the well was never open.”

Rin gasped, and Mrs. Higurashi grew pale. “Will they be able to get back?” she asked.

“We’ll just have to wait and see,” Shippou said softly.

“Kitsune,” Sesshomaru said. “This is no time for rumination. You know what needs to be done next.”

Shippou nodded grimly. And he jumped into the well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo...we've finally come to the "unthinkable" of the summary of the story. Inuyasha and Kagome are devastated, but headed back to Sengoku Jidai to retrieve their daughter! Who will they see in the past, and will they agree to help? Why does Suzuki want Morika, anyway? Is Shippou right? 
> 
> Find out in the next updates, and as always, thanks SO much for reading <3 <3


	49. Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome are reunited with their friends in Sengoku Jidai. They reveal some of why they are there, and some are more receptive than others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and feeling well.
> 
> Today we are getting the band back together! Please enjoy!

Kagome remembered the trips through time to be, if not pleasant, at least not awful. (After the first time, anyway, when Mistress Centipede had attacked her between worlds.) Kind of like floating like Alice in Wonderland, the feeling of moving through space and time oddly soothing. 

This time was nothing like that.

It was rough; Kagome’s stomach was rolling and she lurched from side to side; she felt like heaving. It was only Inuyasha’s strong grip that grounded her. That, and the thought that her daughter was somewhere on the other side.

They landed on the floor of the well with a huge jolt that shook Kagome’s bones. Flat on her stomach, she gingerly felt her head and as much of her body as she could reach with one hand. Jarred, but nothing broken.

“All right, mate?” grunted Inuyasha, still gripping her other hand and trying to sit up. “Fuck!” he swore, rubbing his head.

“That was some trip, huh?” said Kagome dryly.

“I don’t remember it being that bumpy of a ride,” he commented. Kagome groaned as she tried to sit up. “You’re not okay,” he said.

“I’m _fine_ ,” she insisted. “Just a little beaten up from the fall.”

Inuyasha looked up. “Seems like we made it back, ‘Gome,” he said. “Stand back.”

Kagome did as she was told, and Inuyasha leapt from the well in one swift movement. He held his hand out, and she tossed him her pack and weapons, then heaved herself up and over the side, panting from the exertion and the trauma of the trip.

It was dusk; the trees were soft in the evening twilight. Inuyasha paused to take a deep breath; Kagome could tell that he was enjoying the fresh air of the time period. His ears twitched, taking in the sounds of the forest. He smiled in spite of himself. Kagome was with him. It was good to be back.

“Let’s head to the village, yeah?” Kagome said, snapping Inuyasha out of his reverie.

He grinned down at her and handed her the bow, the quiver, and her pack. “One second,” he said. He gave the air a sniff, to see if he could detect the direction the witch had taken his pup, before the scent faded too much. “They headed northeast, away from here.”

“Do you want to follow them, and come back for me?” she asked.

“Keh,” he replied. “We’re gonna need help. Let’s get the monk and Sango, and get out as soon as we can.”

“It’s getting dark, mate,” Kagome said.

“Then let’s go, and make it fast,” he said, squatting down. She climbed on his back and, holding her thighs close, he took off for the village, where they would begin the search for their pup in earnest—with the help of their friends.

* * *

Kaede was tired. It had been a long day for the elderly miko, and she sat in the corner of her hut, dozing, as Rin stirred the stew. There had been another baby born in the village, and it had been a difficult birth. Rin and Sango had helped, but the baby was turned; it had taken all of Kaede’s strength and coaching to help the mother and the child, who was eventally born healthy. It had just been a long and challenging process.

She sighed. It was on days like this that she missed Kagome the most. The young miko-in-training had always been a great help to Kaede. Her poise and cheerful disposition had always been welcome in the most difficult of situations. 

It had been about a year and a half since they defeated Naraku and the Bone Eater’s Well disappeared. A year and a half since Kagome went into the Meido, since Inuyasha went in after her. The well returned, but neither of them came back out. Since then, Miroku, Sango, Shippou…even Sesshomaru and Kouga…had all tried to find the hanyou and the young miko, but they had disappeared without a trace. One could only assume that they had gone back to Kagome’s time. Or, one could only hope.

“Stew will be ready soon, Kaede-obaa-sama,” said Rin. Kaede smiled. Rin was such a sweet child: so loving, so trusting. Kaede worried for her, the ward of the demon Lord of the Western Lands. But Rin seemed to understand none of the worry; she lived with Kaede, learning the ways of humans, waiting patiently for the day her Lord Sesshomaru would return for her—not just to visit, but to take her away again. And while Rin couldn’t wait for that day, she was also very, very patient. She would wait a lifetime for her Lord to come back for her.

Kaede’s eyes were threatening to close—just for a bit, mind you, just until the stew was ready—when she felt a flash of something familiar nearby. A familiar aura, much stronger than it had been in the past. And it was getting closer. Kaede’s eyes were now wide open. Her eyes swiveled to the straw mat door of her hut. The mat was thrust aside, and Rin gasped.

“Looks like we got here just in time for dinner, eh, mate?”

“Now, Inuyasha, be polite! We’ve only just arrived.” Kagome peered into the hut. She smiled grimly. “Hello, Rin-chan. Hello, Kaede-obaa-chan.”

* * *

Kaede and Rin listened, fascinated, as Inuyasha and Kagome briefly filled them in on what had happened in the past 18 months. Kagome made sure to leave out certain things—like Rin mating Sesshomaru, for instance—but gave them just enough information to let them know that they were here on a serious mission. She would fill the rest in when the others arrived.

Which she expected to be soon. As soon as they got to Kaede’s Inuyasha had started throwing his youki around, looking for the others. Kagome had rolled her eyes; and he told her that she stood out like a beacon with her aura! But it got the job done.

“Kaede-sama, I detected a demonic presence near your hut—” Miroku stopped short when he charged through the straw mat door and saw Inuyasha and Kagome sitting by the fire, Kagome stirring the stew, as if they had never left. “What in the name of all that is holy—”

“It’s good to see you too, monk,” said Inuyasha gruffly.

“Houshi-sama, did you find the youkai?” said a _very_ familiar voice.

At that one, Kagome jumped to her feet, leaving the ladle in the stew, and ran to the door. She burst through the mat and jumped on Sango, causing her friend to throw up her arms in defense. It was only when Kagome started crying her name that Sango realized who it was, and she started to cry too. And Shippou, who had been sitting on Sango’s shoulder, buried himself between the two of them, laughing and crying as he hugged Kagome.

They were all happy to see their friends return.

“Unfortunately,” Kagome said, as they all sat around Kaede’s fire and helped themselves to her stew, “this isn’t exactly a social call.”

“I had a feeling it wasn’t,” said Miroku, frowning.

“What’s happened, and what can we do?” asked Sango immediately.

“Our pup’s been kidnapped,” said Inuyasha harshly.

“Your pup?!” exclaimed everyone.

“Our pup,” reiterated Kagome firmly. “Inuyasha and I are married and mated, and we have a four-month old pup. Morika. She’s been kidnapped and brought here. We need your help to find her.”

“If the well was closed, though, Kagome,” said Kaede, “however did the kidnapper get through?”

Inuyasha frowned. He didn’t like the idea of telling the old woman the truth about her sister. He looked at Kagome and saw that she, too, was hesitating. This could kill Kaede.

Kagome leaned forward and took Kaede’s hand. “Kaede-obaa-chan,” she said softly. “I think you need to be prepared for what we are about to tell you. You aren’t going to like it.”

“Whatever do you mean, child?” Kaede asked, surprised.

“I wasn’t Kikyo’s first…love,” Inuyasha said, really unsure what to call anything that Kikyo did anymore.

All the eyes in the hut turned to Inuyasha, surprised.

“What does that mean, Inuyasha?” asked Miroku.

“This Sesshomaru wishes to know that, as well,” said another familiar voice, this one less welcome, but just as needed.

Kagome and Rin instantly got to their feet. “My Lord,” they both said, bowing. Inuyasha shot his mate a look, but Kagome shot him one right back, and he sat back on his haunches, growling slightly.

Sesshomaru swept into the hut, his presence overpowering every other one in the room. His vassal, Jaken, followed, his squat appearance strangely reassuring despite the clear disgust on his face at seeing Inuyasha and Kagome. Sesshomaru, for his part, looked ambivalently from Kagome to Inuyasha, and back again. “You are here, little brother,” he said. “Throwing your youki around like that, it’s a wonder you haven’t attracted every youkai with ten miles.”

“Keh,” Inuyasha said. “I’m glad you found us. Then we don’t have to find you.”

“Hn,” was the curt reply.

“We’ll need your help too, Sesshomaru,” Kagome added. “Please. To find our pup."

Sesshomaru looked at them both, saying nothing, his expression unreadable. But he stayed in the hut, hovering near the door, one eye on Rin, the other on his brother and Kagome.

“So, as I was saying,” Inuyasha said. “Sometime before Kikyo and I became…close…” _Damn, he had no idea what to call their relationship anymore!_ “…Kikyo was involved with someone else.”

Lots of voices exploded in that moment.

“Is that true?” Miroku.

“How do you know?” Sango.

“What proof do you have of this?” Kaede.

Inuyasha’s ears flattened. Kaede’s voice was full of hurt and betrayal, like he knew it would be.

“I’ll take it from here, mate,” said Kagome gently. She looked at their friends solemnly. “After I became pregnant with our pup, I started having visions. Very real, very vivid, visions.”

“Visions of what, Kagome-sama?” asked Miroku.

Kagome tried not to blanch; even after all this time, it still hurt to explain. “Of Kikyo and Onigumo. Before he took the name Naraku.”

This time, no one spoke. Kagome took that as an indicator to keep going.

“My visions were very vivid, with lots of detail,” she said quietly. “Kikyo and Onigumo were definitely involved, and it seems like it was for quite awhile.” She turned to Kaede. “Do you remember Kikyo ever leaving you for a few months with the headman when you were young, like maybe six or seven?”

Kaede nodded. “Aye. She went to a neighboring village to nurse some of the villagers.”

Kagome shook her head sadly. “I wish that were true,” she told her elderly friend. “She left because she was pregnant. She went to a village about a week’s journey from here. She lived there until she had the baby, and she gave it up for adoption.”

Cue shocked faces around the fire.

“The child grew up and lived into my era,” she continued. “I know her as Suzuki Kyoka, or more formally, Suzuki-sensei.”

“Sensei?” said Sango, surprised.

Kagome nodded. “She was my high school kyudo coach. She made friends with me, and with my family.”

“But she is planning something,” Inuyasha added. “We aren’t exactly sure just what, but she needed to get into the well to come back here. And, she needed our blood to do that. We think that when she couldn’t get to us, she took the pup.”

“Who is a combination of you both,” Miroku guessed.

“Exactly,” Inuyasha said. “But what she didn’t know is that…”

“Mates have a blood bond,” Kagome finished. “So she was trying to get to us both, but once we mated, she only needed one of us. I don’t think she realized that. Inuyasha was able to reopen the well with his blood only, since he has my blood in him now, too.”

“So Naraku and Kikyo’s daughter kidnapped your pup, used her blood to open the well, and now they’re here?” Miroku asked. “Somewhere?”

“They came out of the well and went northeast,” Inuyasha confirmed.

“Then why are you both here?” asked Kaede, her voice hoarse and cracked.

Kagome shifted and put her arm around the old woman. “We can’t do this alone, Kaede-obaa-chan,” she said softly. “We need the help of our friends.”

“I’ll help you, Kagome!” exclaimed Shippou, jumping to his feet.

“Thank you, Shippou,” said Kagome with a grateful smile.

“Of course I’m in, too,” said Miroku. “Sango, though…”

“I want to help, houshi-sama,” said Sango firmly. Inuyasha looked at her, and then his nose twitched and his eyes grew wide.

“Sango, you can’t,” he told her, just as firmly.

“Like hell I can’t,” she replied defiantly. “This is our family too, Inuyasha.”

“Not when you’re pupped, you can’t,” he said.

Kagome gasped. Sango looked down, defeated.

“I didn’t think you’d be able to tell,” she said.

Kagome laughed. “He knows the scent really well now,” she told her friend.

“I’m still going,” she said. “I can still fight, and I can still help.”

“That’s the monk’s call,” said Inuyasha. “I would assume it’s his pup you’re carrying?”

“I would hope that it is,” said Miroku, laughing. He turned to Sango, his face becoming serious. “You’re sure you want to do this, my love?”

Sango nodded, her face set.

“This Sesshomaru will lend whatever assistance he can,” said Sesshomaru. “The pup is this one’s family, too.”

Kagome’s face radiated gratitude. “Thank you, my Lord,” she breathed. Inuyasha growled again, and Kagome turned to him. “What is your problem?” she hissed.

“You _never_ call him that,” he grunted.

“We need his _help_ , Inuyasha,” she reminded him softly. “He deserves our respect and our thanks.”

Inuyasha grunted again, but was silent.

“Rin,” said Sesshomaru, “you are to stay here with the old miko.”

“Okay!” Rin said happily. Kaede was none too pleased at Sesshomaru’s epithet for her, but said nothing.

“It’s dark,” said Miroku. “Your plan is to leave immediately?”

“I want to get at least a bit of a start before they get too far away,” Inuyasha said. “We need to hurry.”

“Give us fifteen minutes,” Sango said. “We’ll be ready. Then let’s go get your daughter.”

* * *

Kagome looked around at her friends, feeling warm despite her worry for her daughter. Everyone was here; everyone was going to help them get Morika back. She felt confident and assured. Even though Inuyasha was chafing to get moving, they both knew that there was power and safety in numbers. Suzuki-sensei was going to regret taking their pup.

But the thing that Kagome couldn’t figure out was the _why_. Why had Suzuki-sensei taken Morika with her? If she just needed blood, she could have taken that and then left her behind. So why not do that? The Shippou in the future seemed to think it was to resurrect Naraku, and maybe he was right, but Naraku was _dead_. Purified in the Shikon no Tama. He couldn’t come back…could he?

There must be some deeper purpose; something they were missing. Kagome knew she was going to have to talk more with the others to find out what had been going on in Segoku Jidai since they left. Maybe there would be a clue as to first, why Suzuki-sensei had wanted to come back here, and second, why she needed Morika to come with her.

“Kagome-chan,” said Sango softly, coming up beside her friend, her neko youkai Kirara resting comfortably on her shoulder, “you are lost in thought.”

Kagome smiled grimly. “I’m just trying to figure some things out.”

“Such as?”

“Why Suzuki-sensei—sorry, but I can’t break the habit of calling her that—why she wanted to come back here, and why she needed to bring Morika with her. If it was just about the blood, she could have taken what she needed and left our pup behind. But she didn’t do that.”

Sango was quiet for a moment. “Maybe there’s something bigger going on here. Something you’re missing.”

“That’s what I’m thinking too,” Kagome said.

“We’ll talk about it on the way,” Sango assured her. “Whatever’s going on, we’ll find your pup, Kagome-chan. Try not to worry.”

“We brought down Naraku,” Kagome replied. “We can do anything. I’m not worried.”

Inuyasha put his arm around Kagome and kissed her, much to the shock of everyone there. “That’s my girl,” he murmured.

“It looks like things have changed between you two, Inuyasha,” commented Miroku with a smile.

“Watch it, monk,” retorted Inuyasha, pulling Kagome even closer.

“Do you have everything you need, Kagome?” asked Kaede.

“We do, Kaede-obaa-chan, thank you,” replied Kagome.

Kaede sighed and went to Kagome and Inuyasha, taking Kagome’s hands in her own, gnarled ones. “I am sorry, Kagome,” she said. “It seems that my sister continues to plague you, even long after her death.”

Kagome broke from Inuyasha’s grasp to hug Kaede tightly. “Imagine if Kikyo had brought Suzuku-sensei back with her,” she said softly, “and had had you to help look after the baby. Think about how everyone’s life would have been different. Even if Kikyo had still died, you would have been that baby’s guardian. Think about how that would have changed things.”

Kaede hugged Kagome back. “We cannot change the past, Kagome,” she said sadly. “We can only change the future.”

“And that’s what we plan to do, Obaba,” said Inuyasha, turning so Kagome could climb on his back. “Let’s head out,” he said to Sango, Miroku, and Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru nodded once, and took off into the sky, Jaken clinging to Sesshomaru’s mokomoko.

“Kirara!” cried Sango. Kirara leapt from her shoulder and transformed into an enormous neko. Sango and Miroku jumped on Kirara’s back, Shippou joining them and resting on Miroku’s shoulder. Kagome wilted a little at that.

“He knows you’re mated now, ‘Gome,” said Inuyasha softly. “He’s not going to try and stake a claim on you like that. He probably won’t sleep with you anymore, either.”

“That’s your job,” Kagome said, her eyes glinting.

Inuyasha laughed in spite of himself. “Hop on, mate,” he said.

Kagome slung her pack, her bow, and her quiver over her shoulders and climbed onto Inuyasha’s back. She waved at Kaede, and then they were all gone, leaving Kaede and Rin alone.

“Do you think they’ll be all right, Kaede-obaa-sama?” asked Rin nervously.

Kaede smiled grimly. “I’m not worried about them,” she told the child. “I am worried about what Suzuki plans to do with the pup, though.” She frowned. “No good ever comes from kidnapping a child. I’m nervous about what it could mean.”

Rin took the old woman’s hand reassuringly. “Sesshomaru-sama is with them. They’ll get to the pup in time.”

Kaede smiled down at Rin in spite of herself. “And they have Inuyasha and Kagome, who both seem to have grown very strong.” _They just have to get there in time_ , she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha, Kagome, and the gang are hot on Suzuki's tail. Will they get to her in time? And, what is she really up to? Find out in the next updates!


	50. How Things Have Changed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sesshomaru begrudgingly does Inuyasha a favor. Kagome and Sango, and Inuyasha and Miroku, spend a little time catching up. Miroku realizes how much Inuyasha has grown. The group tries to figure out Suzuki's intentions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello all! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and doing well.
> 
> Thank you for all your thoughts regarding the development of the story as of late. I have really enjoyed reading them, and your feedback has inspired me to go back and rewrite the end of the story fairly extensively (a complete draft is done). Although I liked what I had before, I feel like your feedback has helped me flesh out the ideas and make it more complete. So thank you again, so much!
> 
> In this chapter, Miroku and Inuyasha have a heart-to-heart, as do Sango and Kagome. Please enjoy!

Inuyasha ran like a possessed person, frantically trying to keep track of Suzuki and the pup’s scent. They had a good several hours on Inuyasha, Kagome, and the others, and Inuyasha was desperate to make up some of the lost time.

Kagome, meanwhile, snuggled in close behind her mate and dozed while he ran. The events of the day, the general state of her sleep before that, the stress of her missing pup…all of it was wearing her out, and safely wrapped around Inuyasha, she grabbed a little sleep while she could.

“Inuyasha!” called Miroku from Kirara, flying above them. “There’s a small clearing up ahead. Perhaps we can stop there for the night?”

“Let’s go a little further,” Inuyasha pressed back. “Kagome’s already asleep. We can go a little further.”

“Maybe _you_ can, Inuyasha, but we can’t,” pointed out Sango.

“If you’re going to hold us back from getting our pup, Sango, then maybe ‘Gome and I will just go on our own and you can meet us,” Inuyasha retorted.

“Inuyasha,” murmured Kagome.

“What is it, mate?” asked Inuyasha, turning so he could watch her out of one golden eye.

“I’d prefer to stop, if it’s okay.”

“We can keep going,” Inuyasha said gruffly.

“I’m tired,” she said simply. “Suzuki-sensei’s not going to take Morika far at night. They might already be where they’re going. A few hours of rest won’t set us back too much.”

“The trail will be cold, ‘Gome,” he replied.

“Between you, Sesshomaru, and me, I think we can track them,” Kagome said with a tired smile. “It’ll be fine. Please, let’s stop.”

Inuyasha grumbled, but couldn’t deny his wife and mate. “Fine,” he called up to Sango and Miroku. “We’ll stop where you suggest.”

Sango nudged Kirara forward, and Inuyasha and Kagome headed towards the clearing. Inuyasha set Kagome down as Kirara landed. He gestured towards Sango, Miroku, and Shippou, to take his mate, and once she was out of earshot with their friends, Inuyasha stretched out his youki, looking for his brother. Sesshomaru appeared beside him in an instant. “Are you taking to calling for this Sesshomaru as though he were your dog, little brother?” asked Sesshomaru dryly.

“Whatever, you bastard,” Inuyasha said carelessly. “I need your help.”

When Sesshomaru merely gazed at him, Inuyasha growled, but spoke anyway. “Can you go on ahead for a bit, scout things out, see what you find? I’d go with you, but I can’t leave Kagome here. She’d want to come with us, and I don’t feel like having that fight right now. So I have to stay with her.”

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at his brother, but said nothing.

“Can you track her? Can you track my pup? _Please_?” Inuyasha asked, desperate enough to resort to begging.

“Do you have something of hers?” Sesshomaru asked. “Her scent is similar to yours and the miko’s, I presume.”

Inuysaha dug around inside his haori and pulled out a baby blanket. “I was gonna use this to track her in case the scent went cold. Here.” He handed it over to his brother, who took a sniff and gave it back to Inuyasha.

“This Sesshomaru will be back before first light with information,” he said. “You owe me, little brother.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Inuyasha said with a wave of his hand. “Forever and forever.” He paused. “Thanks, onii-san.”

Sesshomaru’s eyebrows almost raised right off his face, but he nodded once, curtly, and then, in a flash of light, was gone.

Inuyasha stared after his brother for a moment, then headed into the clearing. He was surprised to find just Miroku and Shippou making camp.

“Where are the girls?” Inuyasha asked.

“There’s a hot spring not far from here,” Miroku said. “They needed a little alone time.”

“Fuck it all, monk!” Inuyasha exclaimed. “You can’t leave the girls alone right now!”

“And why not, Inuyasha?” Miroku asked, lighting the campfire with ease. “They are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. I have noticed Kagome’s aura has increased substantially in the past eighteen months. She has grown quite strong.”

“Keh,” said Inuyasha. “She’s also fucking distraught!”

“Then the time alone with Sango will do her good, Inuyasha,” Miroku replied patiently. “If you doubt her, reach out to her with your youki. But please let them be.”

Inuyasha grumbled, but did as the monk suggested. He stretched out his youki, and felt her aura rub up against it affectionately. Satisfied, he set about unrolling Kagome’s sleeping bag.

“Shippou,” he said to the kitsune, who was dozing beside Miroku by the fire, “why don’t you take Kagome’s sleeping bag tonight?”

“Inuyasha,” Shippou yawned. “Won’t Kagome want that?”

“She’ll sleep with me,” Inuyasha said. “She’s be warm and fine.”

“Thanks, Inuyasha,” said Shippou. He ambled over to the sleeping bag and laid down. Inuyasha gently tucked him into the folds of the bag, smiling sadly.

“All right, Inuyasha?” asked Miroku.

Inuyasha sighed and sat beside the monk at the fire’s edge.

“You’ve changed a lot, you know,” Miroku continued.

“I guess I have,” Inuyasha said. He gazed into the fire, its light reflecting in his golden eyes, causing them to glow. He sighed, thinking of his pup, and of Kagome. “Love will do that to you.”

Miroku watched his friend. Inuyasha’s very countenance was different; he was more mature, more grown-up. His jawline was harder; his amber eyes softer. Gone was the mugging scowl; it had been replaced by a thoughtful frown. He looked more like a man, and less like a boy. Miroku smiled slightly. He enjoyed seeing the changes love, marriage, and family had brought upon his old friend, and wondered if those same changes would be wrought on him once his and Sango’s baby came into the world.

“What’s it been like?” Miroku asked suddenly. Inuyasha looked up at him. “Being mated to Kagome-sama,” he added. Inuyasha growled, and Miroku put his hands up in a defensive stance.

“I didn’t mean it like that, Inuyasha!” he exclaimed. He moved his hand to his forehead. “Don’t misunderstand me, please.” Inuyasha’s growls reduced to a low rumble. “I just meant…what has it been like, being with her, being close with her, sharing so many experiences with her. What is that like?”

Inuyasha’s face softened for his friend. He turned to gaze at the fire thoughtfully. “For all the time we were here together,” he said, “I was a complete and total ass. I couldn’t sort through my feelings for Kikyo, but I was so jealous of the wolf that I couldn’t see straight. So instead of telling Kagome how I felt, I treated her like dirt. Like she wasn’t as good as Kikyo, when she was so much more than Kikyo could ever be.”

Miroku was stunned. He’d never heard Inuyasha put that many words together in a row! Or be so thoughtful! He was even more shocked when his old friend continued to talk.

“Then when she got sucked into the Meido,” Inuyasha continued, “everything fucking changed. I realized I couldn’t live without her, that we’d been born for each other. That I loved her with every ounce of my being, and I’d been a fool to not tell her—to not show her.” He shrugged, smiling a little in the firelight. “Things sort of snowballed from there. We mated; we got married; she got whelped. We’re going to college together. She’s a world-class kyudoka. I’m working for my brother—I’m his heir in the future, if you can believe that.” Inuyasha leaned back, resting on his elbows. “We’re happy, I think. We live at her family’s shrine. Her ojiji doesn’t try to purify me every chance he gets anymore. It’s a good life, monk. It’s a life that, believe it or not, I want to get back to.”

His face suddenly hardened. “The sooner we get back our pup, and the sooner we make Suzuki pay, the sooner we can.”

Miroku leaned over to his friend and clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Inuyasha. We’ll do it. We’ll get her back for you.”

Inuyasha smiled at Miroku; the monk realized with a shock that this might be the first real, genuine, honest, open smile he’d ever received from the hanyou. “Thanks,” Inuyasha said.

* * *

Sango and Kagome relaxed in the warmth of the hot spring. Kirara dozed nearby, keeping watch. Kagome smiled as Inuyasha sent out his youki for her every few moments; she massaged it lovingly and sent her aura back to him, reassuring him that all was well.

“Inuyasha again?” Sango asked.

Kagome blushed and smiled. “It’s hard for him to be apart from me right now.”

“Of course,” Sango replied. “You’re mated, and with everything you’ve been through, I’m shocked that he didn’t come barreling through the woods as soon as he learned we were gone.”

Kagome and Sango sat for a few moments in companionable silence. It was _so_ good to be with her, even after all this time. Kagome relished the quiet of a familiar female presence; it had been so long she’d been with another woman she felt that she could completely trust who wasn’t technically family. Well, there was Suzuki-sensei, but Kagome pushed that thought quickly out of her mind.

“So how have you been feeling, Sango-chan?” Kagome asked kindly. “With the pregnancy and everything.”

Sango smiled, her hands going instinctively to her stomach. “I feel okay,” she replied. “A little nauseated, but not terrible.”

Kagome smiled at her friend. “I remember those days,” she said fondly. “The early days of pregnancy aren’t easy. I was _so_ tired, basically all the time.”

“I’m not tired as much as I thought I’d be,” Sango said, “otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”

“I’m glad you are,” Kagome said.

“Me too,” Sango smiled back. “So, tell me about how you finally got Inuyasha to grow up.”

The girls burst into giggles. “Really,” Sango said. “He seems so different than when he left. What did you do to him?”

Kagome laughed heartily. “I loved him, Sango-chan.”

“You’ve loved him all this time, Kagome-chan,” said Sango. “So what changed?”

Kagome grew quiet. “The Meido changed us,” she said softly. “He came for me in the Meido, Sango-chan. He cut through space and time, and when he found me, he…we kissed.”

“Kagome-chan,” Sango breathed.

“And everything kind of went from there,” Kagome continued. “We kissed, we did a little more, we mated, we got married, we had a pup.”

“That doesn’t quite seem like the whole story,” Sango observed.

“It’s not, quite,” Kagome said. “I don’t know how much I can tell you about the future, though.”

“It’s not like I’ll be around to see it,” Sango commented. They both grew quiet at that thought.

“It hasn’t been easy, Sango-chan,” said Kagome at last, “knowing you were here, and I was there, and I couldn’t be with you.”

Sango sighed. “Kagome-chan,” she replied simply, conveying all her love for her friend by saying her name.

“Especially because I felt as though I had no one to talk to through all of this.” Kagome let out a sound that was half snort and half sob. “I actually talked to _Sesshomaru_ , believe it or not.”

Sango gasped, and then the two girls laughed together. “And how did _that_ go?” Sango asked, once she caught her breath.

“He’s just a big old puppy dog,” Kagome replied, still giggling. “He _loves_ Morika. He has a soft spot for pups.” She fought back the tears at the thought of her pup, out there somewhere, without her.

Sango leaned forward and put her hand on her friend’s arm. “We’ll find her, Kagome-chan. Don’t worry.”

* * *

Inuyasha had been just about ready to go after Kagome and drag her back to the campsite when he felt her aura coming up over the ridge, soft and calming. He leapt up and ran to meet her and Sango, lifting her easily into his arms and carrying her back the rest of the way.

“I missed you,” he purred into her ear.

“I missed you too, anata,” she whispered.

“Like hell you did,” he retorted, smiling. “You’ve been waiting to sit in a hot spring with Sango for almost two years.”

Sango laughed at that remark. “And what of it, Inuyasha?” She smiled softly at the two of them. “I missed my sister, too.”

They reached the campsite; Miroku’s face lit up at the sight of his wife. “Ready for bed, my love?” he asked Sango when she sat beside him. He snaked an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him.

“Not just yet,” Sango said. She looked at Inuyasha and Kagome, who were sitting close beside them. “We need to try and figure a few things out, first.”

“Like?” Inuyasha asked. He was anxious to get Kagome rested before the next day.

“Like why Kikyo and Naraku’s daughter would kidnap your daughter and bring her here,” Miroku said, frowning.

Inuyasha growled as Kagome let loose a sudden intake of breath. “Who the fuck knows?” Inuyasha said, still growling.

“Maybe we can figure it out,” Miroku said thoughtfully. “Maybe there’s more going on here than we thought.”

“If Suzuki-sensei brought Morika back here, she must have a reason,” Kagome commented, her voice rough with the loss of her pup. Inuyasha pulled her more securely into his lap and nuzzled her mark, hoping to relax her. She rested against his chest; he wrapped his fire-rat haori around her.

“I’m sorry to say, but Kagome-chan is right,” said Sango. “But the question is, what is the reason?”

They all grew silent at that question, each thinking their own thoughts. The fire crackled in front of them, drawing their attention as they all gazed into it thoughtfully.

Finally, Kagome spoke. “Maybe she needs Morika for something else,” she said softly. “Maybe she’s not done with our pup.”

“What else could she want with a pup, mate?” asked Inuyasha roughly. He was terrified of where this conversation might go. He knew what his brother and Shippou thought in the future, and he couldn’t bring himself to agree with them.

“Miroku,” said Kagome, turning to the monk, “how much do you know about dark magic?”

Miroku looked at her, startled. “Not terribly much, Kagome-sama, which is how it should be.”

“But let’s draw from what you know,” Kagome pressed. “Why would a dark miko want a baby?”

Miroku frowned, lost in thought. “From what I know…and my knowledge is limited…there aren’t many uses for a baby,” he said. “She’s already used the pup’s blood to gain access to this time period, correct?” Kagome nodded. “Then the only other thing that a child’s blood is good for is long life.”

“Or resurrection,” said Sango suddenly. Everyone turned to her. “Isn’t that true, Miroku?” she asked, using her husband’s given name to try and get him to answer her.

“Yes,” said Miroku, letting out a long sigh. “A child’s blood can be used for longevity or…with the right spell and the right blood…it can be used for resurrection.”

The group lapsed into a horrified silence as Miroku’s words hit home. There were only two options for who might be resurrected.

“Kikyo?” said Kagome in a hushed tone, sitting up suddenly.

“Not very likely,” Miroku said. “Didn’t you say that Kikyo abandoned the child?”

“She did,” Kagome replied.

“So then she probably wouldn’t have any interest in the parent who outright rejected her,” said Miroku. “Instead, she would try to reach out to the parent who never knew she existed.”

It was just as Shippou had suggested in the future. “Oh gods.” Kagome clutched her hand to her heart; Inuyasha caught her as she fell back into his chest. “Oh gods,” she said again.

“Do you really think this the case, monk?” growled Inuyasha. “I saw Naraku’s head in the Shikon no Tama. He was purified and disappeared, along with the jewel.”

“She must know something we don’t,” Miroku said. “She wouldn’t be here if she didn’t.”

“It doesn’t do us any good to debate this in the middle of the night,” Sango interrupted when Inuyasha opened his mouth to argue again. “Let’s get some rest. We have a long day of travel ahead of us.”

Sango and Miroku rolled out their bedding and crawled into it, Sango curling into her husband’s side. Kagome went to her sleeping bag and found Shippou and Kirara snuggled up together. She looked up at Inuyasha, surprised.

“I didn’t want the runt to get cold,” he commented. “Come on,” he added, leading her to a tree at the edge of camp. “You need to get some rest.”

“I don’t think I can sleep,” Kagome said honestly.

Inuyasha sat, his back straight against the tree trunk, and pulled her into his chest, wrapping her in his haori again. “You’re safe here, mate,” he whispered into her ear, kissing her cheek. “I will keep you safe. Tomorrow, we get our pup. So tonight, you rest.”

Kagome snuggled against him; he allowed his youki to envelop her like a warm, comforting blanket. “I love you,” she breathed.

“I love you,” he replied, nestling his face in her hair for a moment, breathing in her scent. He held her close, allowing her breathing to become regular. Then, once he was sure she was asleep, he sat up straight, watching over his pack, conscious that two were missing. One would return at first light; the other they would need to retrieve themselves.

Inuyasha adjusted his mate in his arms. He growled lightly at the thought of his pup out there, somewhere, calling for her Ma and Pa, wondering where they were. Inuyasha wanted to hang his head in shame. He’d failed to protect his mate and pup from a threat that had been looming over them practically since the day he and Kagome had arrived in her time. He’d failed to see it; he’d failed to see any of it.

Logically, he knew that this wasn’t his fault; Suzuki was cunning, and clever, and exceptionally good at covering her tracks. Why would he ever think that she would be a threat? It had taken her a long time to show anything resembling affection towards Kagome; of course, he now knew why. Any immediate affection, and he would have been suspicious. She’d built her case slowly, deliberately, biding her time. He scoffed. Of course she’d been biding her time. She’d had 500 years to wait.

And she didn’t know it, but Inuyasha could be patient too. He wasn’t going to charge into wherever she had his pup, sword aloft, cutting down anything in his path. This time, he had Miroku, Sango, his brother, and his mate with him. And he was going to be careful, and plan, and make fucking sure he left Sengoku Jidai with his mate _and_ his pup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it seems like everyone is thinking Suzuki wants to ressurect Naraku at this point. What do you think? In the next update, we'll learn more about Suzuki's intentions. Until then, thank you, as always, for reading!


	51. Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha, Kagome, and gang learn what Suzuki's been after all this time. Inuyasha struggles to remain in control. Kagome has a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime. Everyone else is mine.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that you are all safe and doing well.
> 
> So this is the big one: what has Suzuki been up to? Why did she take Morika? All will be revealed in this chapter. (Yikes!)

True to his word, Sesshomaru returned to the camp at first light. Inuyasha felt his presence approaching the camp, and lifted Kagome easily into his arms as he stood, laying her beside Shippou and Kirara in the sleeping bag.

“Inuyasha,” she murmured.

“I’ll be back,” he promised. “You’re safe. Sleep a little longer, koi.”

“Inuyasha,” she said again, reaching out and pulling Shippou close to her.

Inuyasha kissed her forehead and rose, heading to the edge of the clearing. He waited there for his brother, who descended from the sky in a ball of light, coming to stand beside Inuyasha.

“Little brother,” Sesshomaru said.

“What have you found?” Inuyasha asked.

“The witch has taken your pup deep into the mountains north and east of here,” Sesshomaru said. “She does not dare tread on the lands of the West; she knows better. But she runs a great risk moving close to the territory of Lord Kouga.”

“Fuck yeah she does,” Inuyasha said. “The wolf won’t take kindly to finding a witch in his midst.” He paused. “Do you know what’s in the mountains there, Sess? Why would she take our pup there?”

“This Sesshomaru is not sure,” his brother replied. “There are most likely deep caverns in that part of the terrain, and who knows what is lurking there. Perhaps those also connected with dark magic.”

Inuyasha growled. “Then we have to move.”

“Agreed,” said Sesshomaru. “The witch has yet to leave the mountains, but it’s not yet clear what she plans to do with the pup. We must find them before it’s too late.”

“I’ll go wake everyone up,” said Inuyasha. “We leave within the hour.”

* * *

Inuyasha went around the campsite, shaking everyone soundly until they were all grumbling and complaining about being awake so early. But as soon as Inuyasha reminded them of Morika, everyone was instantly up and moving. Within thirty minutes the campsite was cleared and all particulars were packed up. They set off through the forest, Sesshomaru leading the way, Inuyasha and Kagome close behind, with Kirara flying above carrying Miroku, Sango, and Shippou.

As they got closer to the mountains where Sesshomaru had tracked Suzuki and Morika, Inuyasha found that the pup’s scent was growing stronger, as though they had passed through this area not too long before. Suzuki’s scent was fainter, but Inuyasha suspected she was masking her scent and her youki somehow. She had to be, and she had to be an expert at it; how else had neither he nor Kagome ever detected her youki before?

“Hey,” said Kagome softly from behind him. “It’s not your fault, you know.”

“It’s not your either, mate,” Inuyasha replied, reading her thoughts.

“So you say,” said Kagome, kissing his mark lightly, making him moan softly. “But there’ll be plenty of time to think about that later. We can’t dwell on what we can’t control, or couldn’t control. What’s that saying? Hindsight is always 20/20.”

“What does that mean?” he asked her.

“That when we look backwards at what has happened, it’s easy to point out what went wrong, or what we should have done differently,” she answered. “But in the moment, who would have known that my kyudo coach was the crazy offspring of Kikyo and Naraku, and that she’d eventually kidnap our pup and use her blood to get back here to resurrect her dead, evil, father?”

Inuyasha grumbled, but knew she had a point, remembering his own ruminations on Suzuki the night before. His low grumble shifted to a growl.

Kagome hugged him tighter. “We’ll get her back, mate,” she whispered. “And we’ll get our revenge.”

“Inuyasha!” called Miroku from above. Inuyasha and Kagome looked up, and saw him pointing straight ahead. “There!”

Sesshomaru nodded. “Yes. This is where your pup is, little brother.”

Kagome peeked out over Inuyasha’s shoulder. In front of them were mountains, raising as high as she could see, jutting out over the treetops. She shuddered; Inuyasha squeezed her thighs reassuringly.

Kirara descended from the sky; Miroku, Sango, and Shippou hopped off her back. “Do you know where they are specifically, Sesshomaru?” Sango asked, adjusting her hirakotsu on her shoulder.

“Hn,” he grunted, leading the way through the forest. Inuyasha and Kagome went next; Kagome still on her mate’s back. Next came Sango and Kirara, with Shippou riding on Kirara’s back, and then Miroku heading up the rear of the party. Slowly, quietly, they headed towards the mountains. The pup’s scent was becoming stronger all the time; Inuyasha was chafing to rush forward, find her, and grab her. But he knew that Kagome and Sesshomaru would want to be more calculating, and he had to agree wth that point of view, despite his own desires to charge the mountain and blow it all to hell to get his pup.

At the edge of the forest, Sesshomaru paused. Kagome slid down off Inuyasha’s back and went to him.

“What is it, Sesshomaru?” she asked.

“Do you not feel it, miko?” he said to her.

Kagome paused. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to melt into her third eye. She felt Sesshomaru’s pulsating youki; she felt Inuyasha’s youki, straining against all sense of control; she felt…

_Holy. Shit_.

Kagome looked at Sesshomaru, her eyes wide.

“So your power has improved, miko,” he said.

“That’s some demonic aura radiating off the mountain,” Miroku commented.

“Is that Suzuki-sensei?” Kagome asked.

Inuyasha paused, sniffing the air. The aura _felt_ like Suzuki, but so much…so much more? He also couldn’t detect his pup in all the noise. It was overwhelming.

“We must proceed cautiously,” Sango said firmly.

Sesshomaru nodded. He turned to Kagome. “What can you do to protect yourself, miko?” he asked her.

“I can make a pretty strong barrier,” she said. “I can also maybe make myself disappear?”

“What?!” came five surprised voices.

“What the actual _fuck_ , mate?” hissed Inuyasha. “I _told_ you to stop working on that after what happened!”

Kagome snorted. “That was _months_ ago, Inuyasha. After Morika was born, Hi—my teacher and I went back to practicing. I got pretty good at it, too.” She huffed and turned away from him, relieved she hadn’t given away Hideaki’s identity.

“How come you didn’t tell me?”

Kagome held up her hand and ticked off her fingers as she counted. “First, you weren’t so supportive of that defensive act. Second, you were at school when I started working on it. Third, I never practiced it when you were around. Fourth, because that was so often, I got plenty of practice.”

Inuyasha’s skin was turning red with anger. “I was never around? I was around plenty! I’ve _been_ around plenty!”

“That’s not what I meant!” Kagome said, getting even huffier. “You have been phenomenal. But you can’t deny that you’ve been at school or at Sesshomaru’s almost every day, for a part of the day, since Morika was born.”

His ears flattened against his head. He couldn’t deny it; that was true.

“It just gave me plenty of space to practice,” she said. Then, her eyes and her scent grew sad. “And plenty of time for Suzuki-sensei to make nice so she could steal our pup.”

Any anger that Inuyasha had in that moment immediately burned up at the sight of his mate grieving their pup. He pulled her close and kissed her softly. “She’s here, mate. Please. No more sadness. I need you strong.”

She returned his kiss, just as softly. When he pulled away, he saw all her love for him and their pup shining in her eyes. “No more sadness,” she whispered.

“Good.” He kissed the top of her head, then turned to his brother. “So what’s the plan?”

“We need a way to clear this aura so we can scent the pup again,” Sesshomaru said.

“That I can do,” Kagome said immediately.

“Fine,” acquiesced Sesshomaru. “You do that, and then you need to render yourself invisible, if you can.”

“Why?” asked Kagome.

“Because the witch wants you both,” he replied. “And we need her to think one of you is not here.”

“And why me?” she demanded.

“Because, mate,” said Inuyasha, drawing his Tetsusaiga, “if we can keep you safe, then that’s what we do.”

Kagome stood there, silently fuming, but couldn’t argue with him. If she tried, he would wear her down anyway.

“Fine,” she said. “I shoot the arrow, I clear the aura, then I make myself invisible. _But I am coming with you_.”

“Fine,” he said. “Sango will stay back with you.” He looked at Sango; she met his gaze and nodded once.

“I’ll stay and protect Kagome, too!” Shippou exclaimed.

Kagome bent down and smiled at Shippou. “Thank you, Shippou-chan,” she said sweetly. “Just remember not to give me away, okay?”

Shippou saluted. “You bet, Kagome! I’ll take care of you.”

Kagome rose and, drawing her bow and an arrow, nocked the arrow. “Where should I aim?” She asked.

Sesshomaru gestured up towards the mountain. “There’s a cave hidden underneath the demonic aura, up there. Clear the aura, and we’ll be able to see the cave.”

“Then make yourself scarce, wench,” Inuyasha grunted, swinging the Tetsusaga into attack position, “because we don’t know what the fuck’s gonna come at us once this is cleared away.”

“I love you too,” she said to him, smiling. He winked at her.

Kagome drew her bowstring taut. “Hit the mark,” she hissed, and watched as her arrow zoomed into the sky, striking the mountainside with a resounding crack. Pink sparks of her aura shot into the air, chafing against the dark demonic energy surrounding the mountain. Kagome quickly shouldered her bow and retreated into her third eye to begin the process of becoming invisible.

No one else paid attention to her; all their eyes were drawn to the mountain, where Kagome’s aura was shattering the demonic energy with a loud bang. Her pink energy sucked up the darkness of the jyaki, purifying it and sending it shooting skyward. When the last of it was gone with a great _whoosh_ into the sky, everyone’s gaze came back to earth, where they sought each other out.

“Kagome-sama, that was outstanding…” Miroku’s sentence never finished, because Kagome was nowhere to be found.

“Kagome-chan?” called Sango.

“Oi, mate!” called Inuyasha.

“I’m right here,” said a disembodied voice close to Inuyasha’s head. He yelped and jumped back.

The voice laughed. “How did I do?”

“Holy fuck,” he breathed. “Mate?”

“It’s me,” Kagome’s voice said lightly.

“Kagome-sama,” said Miroku, “this is most impressive.”

“Thanks, Miroku,” said Kagome’s voice.

“Miko,” said Sesshomaru, “whoever is training you in the future is doing it right.”

Kagome laughed again. “I hope you remember that, my Lord.”

“Let’s go,” said Inuyasha. “’Gome, you stay near the rear with Sango.”

There was silence as they waited for Kagome to take her place close to Sango. “I’m ready,” she said at last.

“We move single file,” said Sesshomaru. He stealthily took off among the trees, sticking to them where he was able. Once the tree line thinned, he stayed close to the tall grasses, cloaking his youki so he was barely discernable among the landscape. Inuyasha was impressed. While he had fought beside his brother inside Naraku, that had been all force. This kind of hunting involved much more focus, and much more craftiness, than Inuyasha could manage. He followed his brother closely, trying to mask his youki as best he could. He cursed himself for not working on it harder.

And fuck it all, how did Kagome learn to turn herself invisible without him knowing? Inuyasha thought he’d been doing a fantastic job juggling everything, but maybe he hadn’t. He shook his head, trying to eliminate the negative thoughts. Hadn’t he just told Kagome no more sadness? He needed to focus; he needed to be on point when they came face-to-face with the bitch who had his pup.

Suddenly, Sesshomaru stopped and put up one finger. Inuyasha and the others stopped behind him. They were on a small mountain trail leading up towards the cave Sesshomaru said Suzuki and the pup were in. He looked right at Inuyasha, pointing up at the cave, then holding up one…two…three fingers. Inuyasha nodded, and turned to the others.

“Three guards,” he mouthed to Miroku and Sango. They nodded. Sesshomaru gestured for Miroku to come join him at the head of the line. Inuyasha was pissed, but only a little; he knew that the monk could be silent when he needed to be, whereas to Sesshomaru, Inuyasha was all fire and cacophony; he had only proven himself in the brute strength department, not in the cunning department. That wouldn't happen for another 500 years.

Miroku and Sesshomaru crept forward until they were behind a large rock. Inuyasha, Sango, and Shippou hung back, ready to assist if needed. Inuyasha didn’t know where Kagome was, but he assumed she was somewhere close by. She was doing an outstanding job disguising herself and her aura. Inuyasha watched, fascinated, as Miroku and Sesshomaru crept up to the entrance of the cave. There was some light scuffling, but almost no sound. Then suddenly, Sesshomaru was in front of them again, saying, “Come,” and leading the way forward. The mouth of the cave was small, but it opened up into a much larger cavern. Inuyasha was glad to have his brother along; he might have missed this cave. It was clear Sesshomaru was an excellent tracker, and, thinking ahead to the future, Inuyasha realized it was his brother who had taught Sayua. He decided that when they got back, he would ask Sesshomaru to help train him, as well.

As they passed through the opening to the cave, Inuyasha saw Miroku and Sesshomaru’s handiwork: three youkai—bugs of some kind—dismembered and purified. The stench coming from the youkai was unfathomable. Inuyasha swore he could feel Kagome shudder; Shippou leapt up and buried himself under Kirara’s fur as much as he could.

Miroku and Sesshomaru now more clearly took the lead, with Inuyasha in the middle, and Sango, Kirara, and Shippou at the rear. Kagome was somewhere unclear, which was how Inuyasha liked it. They slowly followed the twists and turns in the tunnel; Inuyasha sensed they were somewhere close to the deepest part of the mountain. He didn’t like being trapped in a cave like this. He thought back to the amanojaku again; this time, though, he and Kagome weren’t alone.

Miroku paused. “Sesshomaru-sama,” he breathed.

Sesshomaru nodded. They stepped aside and looked at Inuyasha. He took it as his cue to go first. Inuyasha took one step, then another, one hand on the Tetsusaiga’s hilt, his golden eyes glowing in the darkness.

“Well, well,” came a sultry voice from somewhere in front of him, “what have we here? A puppy without its master.” There was a long pause. _Oh_ ,” the voice said, “ _two_ puppies. How precious.”

Inuyasha snarled and made to burst forward; Sesshomaru laid a hand on his arm to still him.

“We’re here for the pup,” Inuyasha barked instead.

“What makes you think I’m ready to give her up?” the voice said. And suddenly, a gust of wind filled the cave, and when it faded, there she was, all lit up from behind. Her dark hair was free of its ponytail, she was no longer wearing her trademark tortoise-shell glasses, and her _eyes_. They were a deep red, glowing like two smoldering embers. She wore a long, dark cloak; her face was pale; her mouth was long and twisted into a perverse smile. She looked familiar.

Then, it struck him. “I know you, bitch,” Inuyasha breathed. “You were at the battle at the shrine! You gave that bear the potion bottle full of jyaki, and he used it to break Kagome and the monk’s barrier!”

Suzuki’s smile grew even wider; it was not beautiful. “Little puppy has a good memory,” she teased. Her voice was creaky and high, not stern and subtle like it had been in the modern era.

“Where’s my pup?” he demanded.

“She’s quite safe,” Suzuki replied.

“What do you want?” he bellowed.

Suzuki leaned forward. “I see you brought quite the crowd with you, Inuyasha,” she commented. “But…” she frowned and her whole face turned dark. “Where is your lovely mate?”

Inuyasha paled as Miroku sucked in a breath and Sango held steady behind him. As usual, only Sesshomaru seemed nonplussed. “What do you want with Kagome?” Inuyasha hissed.

Suzuki took a few steps towards them, widening her hands as though in greeting. “Come now, Inuyasha, Higurashi-kun and I are good friends,” she said simply. “I was hoping to get to see her again.”

“Like fucking hell that’s the reason,” he shot back. “Where’s my pup?”

“And like _I_ said,” Suzuki’s voice was growing higher-pitched, “she is _quite_ safe.” Suzuki widened her hands even more, and Inuyasha gasped as Morika appeared in Suzuki’s arms, fast asleep. He made to rush forward, but Suzuki shushed him.

“No, no, no,” she said, “we don’t want to wake her up.” Suzuki moved her hands back together, and Morika vanished.

“What the fuck do you want, witch?” Inuyasha’s patience was starting to wear thin. He couldn’t waste her, not when she had his pup inside a mountain. _Fuck_! She had planned this too well.

Suzuki’s smile returned. It chilled Inuyasha all the way to his very core. “What do I want?” She blinked several times. “Why, I want your mate, of course.”

Now everyone except Sesshomaru gasped. “Why the _fuck_ do you want her?” Inuyasha snarled, baring his fangs.

Suzuki stood a few steps away from Inuyasha now. She began to pace. Her face was dark, but thoughtful, as though trying to decide how much to tell him. He was fucking enraged. How _dare_ she be this silent now? His pup and apparently his mate were now in danger. It was taking every ounce of his self-control to not blow her and half the mountain away. He growled threateningly. It was all he could do in that moment.

Suzuki could feel the anger and frustration radiating off Inuyasha; he could tell she was relishing in the suspense she was creating. Her smile grew wider and more sinister; Inuyasha could see now that her teeth were jagged and shining.

“I’ve been after your mate for a long time, Fujimura Yash,” she said in a mocking voice. This time, it was Miroku's turn to still Inuyasha and keep him from going forward. “Who do you think told the bears we were running late that day with practice? Who do you think helped the witch create those ofudas? And who do you think the bear Hokutou was supposed to go after at the shrine house?”

When Inuyasha spoke again, his voice was low and deadly. “You’ve been after Kagome this whole time.” It wasn’t a question. “Why.”

“She has something I need,” Suzuki said blandly, crossing her arms over her chest and peering into Inuyasha’s face.

“What the _fuck_ does she have that you could possibly want?”

Suzuki grinned in his face, saliva dripping down her jagged teeth. “ _Her soul_.”

* * *

Kagome lingered behind the group, still invisible, unsure of how/if/when she should make an appearance. Suzuki-sensei seemed to not know that she was anywhere close by, which was good. She wanted to keep Suzuki-sensei in the dark about her whereabouts.

When she saw Suzuki-sensei’s true appearance, a chill ran through her spine. She’d recognized her immediately, just as Inuyasha had. She’d been the witch who was in league with the bear youkai. She’d been after them for months, yet on the surface, she had perfectly acted the part of the grumpy kyudo coach with a heart of gold. It was all Kagome could do to keep herself calm and not let her aura unleash itself on the whole of the cave. She might purify Kirara, Shippou, and Sesshomaru, for starters, and she still hadn’t seen her pup.

Then, as if on cue, Suzuki-sensei held out her hands, and in them appeared Morika, sleeping peacefully, her little ears drooped in slumber. Kagome wanted to rush Suzuki-sensei, grab her daughter, and punch her former coach in the face, over and over, until it was bloody, and then zap her with the fullest extent of her powers. Kagome could feel her resolve slipping, so she focused on Inuyasha. She could feel his youki struggling to maintain control, but he was doing it. And if he could do it, so could she.

Instead, Kagome turned her attention to what Inuyasha and Suzuki-sensei was saying.

“What the fuck do you want, witch?” Kagome could hear that Inuyasha’s patience was starting to wear thin. _Hold on, anata_ , she thought desperately. _Don’t give her a reason to harm our pup_.

Suzuki-sensei was quiet for a moment; when she spoke again, Kagome could hear the smile in her voice. “What do I want?” Kagome saw her blinking. “Why, I want your mate, of course.”

Kagome reeled as everyone else gasped. “Why the _fuck_ do you want her?” Inuyasha said, his voice nothing more than a low growl.

Kagome could hear Suzuki-sensei pacing now, her footsteps resounding against the rock floor of the cave. “I’ve been after your mate for a long time, Fujimura Yash,” Kagome heard her former coach say to Inuyasha in a mocking voice. Inuyasha’s youki was nearly out of control. Kagome prayed he could hold it together. “Who do you think told the bears we were running late that day with practice? Who do you think helped the witch create those ofudas? And who do you think the bear Hokutou was supposed to go after at the shrine house?”

“You’ve been after Kagome this whole time. Why.” Kagome could only imagine Inuyasha’s face right now. She could only see the back of his head, and he was visibly shaking. His ears were twitching madly.

Kagome gasped quietly when Suzuki-sensei then leaned into Inuyasha. “She has something I need,” Suzuki said.

“What the _fuck_ does she have that you could possibly want?”

What Kagome heard next almost made her drop her invisibility screen. “ _Her soul_.”

It made her weak in the knees; she had to collapse to keep her screen up. _They had been wrong_. All this time, they were assuming Suzuki-sensei was after Naraku somehow. But no.

Suzuki-sensei was after her mother.

She wanted Kikyo back.

And she had taken their pup to get what she wanted.

“Why the _fuck_ do you need her soul, witch,” Inuyasha hissed. He either didn’t get it or he was in denial.

“Because,” Suzuki-sensei said gleefully, “I want to resurrect my mother, the greatest priestess who ever lived.” Her voice grew suddenly dark. “And I want to ask her why she gave me up, that bitch. And then I’m gonna take what’s rightfully mine, and I’m gonna end her. All over again.”

Inuyasha was now full-on growling; Miroku was so close to removing his hand and just letting Inuyasha go full youkai on her. Kagome knew this was her only chance to do something.

“Sango,” Kagome breathed. Sango jumped slightly, but nodded once.

“Watch out.”

Sango grabbed Shippou and they casually moved out of the way.

Out of nowhere, an arrow shot through the cave, grazed Suzuki-sensei on the shoulder, and hit the wall of the cave behind her. The wall sparked and cracked; pieces fell to the cave floor.

Suzuki-sensei now looked around her wildly. She knew who that arrow belonged to. And yet, she could not detect Kagome’s aura anywhere.

And then there it was, pink and sparkly and dusky and, oh, so _angry_.

The aura brushed past Sango and Shippou, past Miroku and Sesshomaru, past Inuyasha, and came to settle right in front of Suzuki-sensei. The aura rippled and shimmered, and slowly, Kagome came into view, her aura crackling an enraged pink all around herself, and an arrow nocked and aimed right for Suzuki-sensei’s neck.

“You wanted me, bitch,” Kagome snarled. “Well, here I am.”

* * *

Oh, _fuck_.

Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck.

What the _fuck_ was she doing?

The deal had been for her to stay out of sight. To stay hidden. To stay safe. And instead, what does the stupid wench do? She tries to intimidate the witch (Inuyasha totally realized if his mate wanted to take off Suzuki’s head, she would have done it easily, so that miss was on purpose), and _now_? Now she’s got an arrow pointed right at the witch’s throat, her aura going absolutely insane, and her eyes coal black in her rage.

“Mate?” he said weakly.

“Don’t talk to me right now, mate,” she spat. Her gaze leveled at Suzuki’s. “This is between me and her.”

“You’re damn right it is, Ka-Go-Me,” mocked Suzuki. “You have my mother’s soul. I want it.”

“Your mother couldn’t keep it the first time she had a piece of it,” Kagome mocked right back. “And it’s _my_ soul, now. I’m not giving it up.”

“Not even for your daughter?” Suzuki said scathingly, and Morika appeared in her arms again.

Kagome stilled. “You give her back.”

“When I get your soul, she’s all yours.” Suzuki was grinning that awful, drooling grin again.

“How do I know that’s even her?” Kagome said. “Your… _father_ ”—even the word disgusted her—“was always good at illusions.”

“Touché, Higurashi,” Suzuki replied easily, “you know me too well.” The image of Morika faded. “You’re right that she’s not here. But she’s safe. For now.” Suzuki paused for a moment. Kagome’s arrow held steady at her neck.

“Tell you what, Higurashi,” said Suzuki after a moment. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll give you some time to think it over. Meet me at the Bone Eaters Well tomorrow at sunrise. I’ll bring your daughter—the real one this time—and you bring your soul.”

“Mate, I don’t think—”

“Deal,” said Kagome through gritted teeth, lowering her bow and unnocking the arrow.

“Mate!” bellowed Inuyasha.

“ _It’s a goddamn deal, Inuyasha._ ” Kagome wasn’t taking anyone’s shit, that was for sure. This was her battle. She brought Suzuki-sensei into their lives. And now Suzuki-sensei wanted a piece of her soul. _For fucking Kikyo. Fucking again!_ Didn’t she, Kagome, count for anything? Kagome silently uttered a string of curses that would have made Inuyasha proud.

Suzuki nodded once curtly, then threw her arms up in the air. Sparks shot from her fingertips, lighting up the cave all around her. As everyone squeezed their eyes shut, Suzuki shimmered and faded from view. When they all opened their eyes, she was gone.

“Mate!” Inuyasha roared. Now that Suzuki was gone, he was gonna let his mate have it.

“Hush, Inuyasha,” Kagome said placatingly, coming back to his side and kissing him. “It’s gonna be fine.”

“It’s not gonna be fucking fine, mate!” he exclaimed. “You just gave her more time with our pup! We’ve got to get her back. _Tonight_!” His youki was straining to be let loose in a rage, blinded by his bloodlust for Suzuki. Kagome snuggled under his arm, nuzzling his side until she felt him relax a little.

“We cannot retrieve your pup tonight, little brother,” said Sesshomaru. “And this Sesshomaru suspects that your mate has a plan. Is that correct, little miko?”

Kagome smiled slowly. “I do, my Lord. We’re gonna fight her on our turf, and we’ve got a real advantage that she doesn’t know about.”

They all looked at her. Kagome’s grin grew wider; she felt the bloodlust from Inuyasha’s youki taking hold.

“Me,” she said. “I’m the advantage.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's Kagome's plan? Will Inuyasha be able to keep it together? Find out in the next update! I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and as always, thanks so very much for reading!
> 
> Voting for the 2Q 2020 Inuyasha Fandom Awards is now open over at the Feudal Connection (https://feudalconnection.tumblr.com/) ! If you are so inclined, please take a moment to vote for us under Best Character Portrayal for Inuyasha! A big thanks again to all of you for reading, and for your comments, kudos, bookmarks, and general support.


	52. Confronting the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome face off against Suzuki, where they lay out some hard truths. The battle to save Morika begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello all! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and well. 
> 
> (We finally got some sunshine and warm weather this weekend! It's not 50 degrees and raining! Yay!)
> 
> The battle against Suzuki begins. Will Inuyasha and Kagome get their pup back? Will Inuyasha manage to keep it together? (Always the eternal question, lol.) Please enjoy, and thanks so much for reading this far!

The trip back to the village was swift and quiet. No one spoke much on the way; the goal of getting back home quickly was on all of their minds.

Even with Kagome on his back, Inuyasha had never run so fast. In fact, he probably could have rivaled Kouga for speed when the wolf had both jewel shards in his legs. He was practically keeping up with Sesshomaru, who was traveling at the speed of light.

He couldn’t believe how Kagome was acting. It was so irresponsible, so unlike her! First, she holds an arrow to the witch’s neck, then she bargains with her, and _then_ she gives their pup back to her until sunrise? What in all the hells was she thinking? _Fuck_ , he thought, _she’s acting like me!_ And he did not like that. At all.

“Hush, Inuyasha,” mumbled Kagome from his back. The invisibility had taken a toll on her stamina, and she’d been sleeping off and on since they left the mountain. 

“Mate,” he said.

“I know,” she replied. “Wait until we get to the village, please? Do you trust me?”

“You know I do,” he murmured.

“Then please,” she answered. “Wait.”

How could he not do as she asked? Of course he fucking trusted her! He just didn’t know what she was thinking. Would it hurt their pup? Would it fail? He had so many thoughts running through his head, he didn’t know where to focus. He trusted her, yes, but it was really fucking hard when she wouldn't share her plans with him.

It was late when they returned to the village. Instead of congregating at Kaede’s, which would have most likely woken the elderly miko and Rin, they decided to spend the night at Miroku and Sango’s. Sango and Kagome made some of the ramen Kagome had brought with her, and they all sat around the fire—even Sesshomaru, who never accepted anything from humans—to discuss their next move.

Kagome sat with her mate and allowed him to feed her. She knew that the others were probably wondering why she’d decided to allow Suzuki to keep her pup for another evening. She opened her mouth obediently when he brought the noodles to her lips, knowing that he needed this display of affection right now. Once she’d had her fill, she turned to kiss him lightly. He smirked, and helped himself to the rest of her ramen.

When Inuyasha finished his bowl, she finally spoke. “I have a good reason,” she said from Inuyasha’s lap, as everyone else continued to eat. “I promise.”

There were a lot of quiet people around the fire pit. Finally, it was Sango who spoke.

“We know you do, Kagome-chan,” she said. “What do you need us to do?”

Kagome smiled. She knew Sango would have her back.

“I have a lot to tell you,” she said. “You know that when I got pregnant, I started having visions of Kikyo and Onigumo.”

The faces around the fire all nodded.

“That’s how we figured out that Suzuki is the child of Onigumo and…and…” Inuyasha was trying _so_ hard to help her.

“Of Onigumo and Kikyo,” Kagome finished. She pulled Inuyasha’s arms around her and kissed his cheek.

“How do you think that will be useful, Kagome-sama?” asked Miroku. He was being respectful, but he worried that she might be putting too much stake in these dreams of hers.

Kagome was silent for a moment, staring into the fire. “I think that I can rattle her a bit,” Kagome said. “I know things about her parents that no one else does…not in this time period, anyway,” she added, looking at Sesshomaru. Inuyasha, gathering her meaning, growled slightly.

“What do you need us to do, Kagome-chan?” asked Sango.

“Be ready to grab our pup,” Kagome said immediately.

“Mate, hold on,” said Inuyasha. “You can’t mean to take the witch on by yourself?”

“That’s exactly what I plan to do, Inuyasha,” said Kagome.

“You can’t, ‘Gome!” exclaimed Inuyasha, pulling her close. He buried his face in her hair. “I couldn’t take it if something happened to you.”

“Anata,” Kagome breathed. She could feel him shaking. This plan terrified him; she could tell.

“This Sesshomaru will support you, miko,” said Sesshomaru suddenly. Everyone’s head swiveled around to face him. “You have proven yourself brave, and powerful. This one will follow your lead at sunrise.”

“Sesshomaru,” said Kagome gratefully.

“All right, I’m with my bastard brother, “said Inuyasha. He had to pull himself together; his brother’s searing glare was a perfect opportunity to do just that. No way in fucking hell would he let that bastard think he was a pushover. “You want us to step aside and be patient? That’s what we’ll do.”

Kagome nodded brusquely. “It is what I want. But Inuyasha,” she said gently, turning around to face her mate, “I will want you with me.” Her gentleness turned harsh, and she smiled slowly. “Once Morika is safe, we waste the bitch.”

Inuyasha grinned at his mate and flexed his claws. Now _that_ kind of plan he could get behind.

“My plan is for Inuyasha and me to meet her alone at daybreak,” Kagome said. “I want her to think we’re alone, and that she has the upper-hand. Onii-san,” she said, turning to her brother-in-law, who blanched at her use of the term, “I ask you to be on the ready to get Morika out of there. No one is as fast as you.”

“Hn,” was all Sesshomaru said, but his face was resolute.

“Miroku, Sango, Shippou,” Kagome said next, “please stand by to help Sesshomaru as needed. If something goes wrong, he’s going to need backup.”

“We can do that, Kagome-sama,” said Miroku, nodding vigorously.

“And in the meantime,” added Sango, “we need to get some rest. We should take watches, to make sure that we’re up before daybreak.”

“This Sesshomaru does not need to sleep, slayer,” Sesshomaru said.

“I don’t need much sleep either,” said Inuyasha.

“Yes, but the miko will need your comfort tonight,” Sesshomaru pointed out. “You will be occupied.”

Kagome snuggled deeper into her mate’s lap and looked up at him with tired chocolate eyes. “Your brother is right. I need you tonight, Inuyasha,” she said tiredly. “Tomorrow is going to be a big day, and I’m nervous about how it’s going to go.”

Inuyasha nuzzled her mark to soften what he was about to say. “If you’re nervous, why don’t we do something else?” he asked her softly.

Kagome’s aura immediately flared up. “Do you have any better ideas, mate?” she hissed. His ears flattened as he wilted under her anger and shame. He didn’t. He couldn’t argue with her there.

“Let me do this, anata,” she whispered against his chest. The feelings of guilt rolled over him in waves. His heart literally hurt as he experienced her pain. Once again, it was impossibly to deny what she desired. He’d move heaven and hell if that was what she wanted. And it almost was.

“We’ll do it your way, ‘Gome,” he murmured, holding her close. “Tomorrow, we get her back.”

* * *

Sesshomaru woke Inuyasha at first light. Inuyasha hadn’t meant to fall asleep—he really hadn’t—but Kagome’s tears and ragged breathing caused him to exert a lot of energy comforting her, leaving him exhausted. Sesshomaru shook him gently; Inuyasha’s eyes opened immediately, and he scanned the hut for the others. Miroku and Sango were tucked away in their futon; Shippou and Kirara were dozing not far away. Inuyasha first roused Kagome from his arms, kissing her gently until she awoke.

“Inuyasha?” she mumbled, her brown eyes drowsy with sleep.

“It’s time, mate,” he said, his voice a mix between softness and gruffness.

She rubbed her face absently. “Okay,” she whispered. “I need to wash my face. Give me five minutes.”

He nodded. She rose from his lap and stumbled to the bucket to wash her face. In the meantime, he woke Sango and Miroku; they awoke so readily, he wasn’t sure they had been sleeping at all. Sango joined Kagome at the bucket to wash her face as well, while Miroku woke Shippou. Ten minutes later, they were gathered outside the hut, dressed, equipped with their weapons, and ready.

“All right,” Kagome said, her voice still thick with sleep. “Inuyasha and I will go first. My Lord, Miroku-sama, Sango-chan, Shippou-chan, you will follow us, but try to stay out of sight. Make sure she can’t detect your presence.”

“This Sesshomaru will take care of that, miko,” Sesshomaru replied. “We will be ready to take the child when the moment arises.”

“Inuyasha and I may not be able to signal that it’s time,” Kagome said.

“The pup will be safe,” Sesshomaru answered simply.

Kagome smiled. Despite Sesshomaru’s warning about his past self, she knew she could trust her brother-in-law, even during this time period.

“Kagome-chan?” said Sango tentatively. Kagome turned to her friend. Sango caught her in a quick embrace. “Good luck,” she said. Kagome nodded.

“Thanks, Sango-chan.” Kagome turned to her mate. “Ready?”

Inuyasha grunted. “Ready, mate.” He offered her his back. “Hop on. We’ll get there faster.”

Kagome climbed onto Inuyasha’s back. “We’ll see you all there,” she said. Inuyasha growled and took off towards the Bone Eater’s Well, where Suzuki and their pup would be waiting.

* * *

The first rays of sunlight were just starting to creep across the horizon when Inuyasha and Kagome reached the well. Inuyasha paused to give Kagome a chance to slide off his back; she turned to him and kissed him gently. “You’ve got this,” he whispered.

“ _We’ve_ got this,” she reiterated. He smiled grimly and took her hand.

As the sun rose slowly, Kagome’s eyes adjusted to the changing light. The well came into view; Kagome could see a figure hovering nearby. Inuyasha squeezed her hand.

“Higurashi? And her loyal dog? I was so sure you’d come alone,” Suzuki said, coming into the light.

Inuyasha growled and started to unfurl his youki, but Kagome moved her hand up to his arm to still him. Inuyasha pulled his youki back, but his teeth remained bared. His hand hovered over the Tetsusaiga.

“That’s _our_ pup you have, Suzuki-sensei,” Kagome said softly. “We’re in this together.”

“How nice for you,” Suzuki snapped. “Now, give me what I asked for.”

“Where’s Morika?” Kagome asked.

“Safe,” Suzuki said.

“Not good enough, witch,” Inuyasha broke in. “You want Kagome’s soul, you give us the pup first.”

“Not going to happen, mutt,” Suzuki retorted. “I give you the pup, I get nothing.”

“Not so, Suzuki-sensei,” Kagome said, her voice still soft. “I can’t give you my soul if you still have my heart.”

The sun still hadn’t fully risen, but Kagome could feel Suzuki’s eyes rolling in disgust. “ _Please_ , Higurashi. I didn’t know you were such a softie.”

“Just like your mother was, Suzuki-sensei,” Kagome replied.

They felt her flinch. “What do you mean by that, _Higurashi_?” Suzuki hissed.

“You’ve thought all this time that Kikyo abandoned you,” Kagome said. “You’ve thought that she willingly gave you up. And maybe she did. But she did it for the best reason of all: she did it for love.”

“What the _fuck_ is that supposed to mean, Higurashi?” screamed Suzuki.

“Show me my pup first, Suzuki-sensei,” Kagome said, “and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

“Ugh, fine,” huffed Suzuki. She parted her cloak, and revealed the sleeping pup in the crook of her right arm. Kagome and Inuyasha both started at the sight of their pup, but Kagome quickly halted her mate from rushing to grab Morika. They had to be patient.

“Is she okay?” Kagome asked instead.

“She’s _fine_ , Higurashi,” Suzuki said impatiently. “Do you think I’d harm an innocent pup?”

“You used her blood to open the well,” Inuyasha pointed out.

“Only because I couldn’t get blood from _you_ ,” she hissed. “Do you think I _wanted_ it to be this way?”

“I don’t know, Suzuki-sensei,” Kagome said quietly. “Didn’t you?”

Suzuki’s aura flared all around her, an angry, dark purple. “Of course not!” she bellowed. “I only wanted you and the mutt! But I couldn’t get to you, so I had to do the next best thing! You didn’t leave me any choice, Higurashi! You kept evading all my attempts to get _your_ blood, and your stupid watchdogs were no help either. So I did what I had to do!”

“Just like your mother, Suzuki-sensei,” Kagome replied.

“ _You keep saying that_!” Suzuki screeched. “She threw me aside like trash! She gave me up!”

“She did give you up,” Kagome said, “but she did it because she loved you, Suzuki-sensei. Or at the very least, she wanted a better life for you than the one you would have been subject to as the daughter of a tainted miko and a thief.”

“And how would you know this?” Suzuki mocked. “Because you’re a poor copy of my mother?”

Inuyasha was now outright snarling and growling, red bleeding into his eyes. The belittling of his mate was pushing at all his instincts. The bloodlust was coming on, and it was strong.

_“INUYASHA_ ,” Kagome said, squeezing his arm. He continued to chafe against her grip, snapping his jaws and howling at Suzuki. “Please don’t make me S-I-T you, anata,” she said desperately. “I _need_ you.”

The pleading tone in Kagome’s voice made Inuyasha submit. The red faded from his eyes, but he maintained his offensive stance, ready to draw Tetsusaiga at a moment’s notice.

Satisfied that her mate was steady for now, Kagome turned back to Suzuki. “I’m no more a poor copy of Kikyo than you are,” she said quietly. “And I know this because, once upon a time, I knew Kikyo, at least in her...revived...form. And I’ve had visions of Kikyo and Onigumo. I know what happened between them, and I know why she left to have you. She did it to give you a chance at a better life than she could offer you.”

“That’s a lie!” Suzuki hissed, tightening her hold on Morika.

“It’s not a lie,” Kagome said. “You’re part youkai; scent me. You know I’m telling the truth.”

Suzuki had nothing to say to that.

“She gave up her claim on you because she knew that there was no life for a miko with a child,” Kagome said.

“You’re a miko; you have a child,” Suzuki pointed out.

“I live in modern Tokyo; I’m married and mated,” Kagome replied. “Being a miko isn’t my livelihood. If I were in Kikyo’s position, I don’t know what I would have done.”

Suzuki was quiet for a moment. “What else do you know about my mother?” she asked at last.

Inuyasha hissed a sharp intake of breath. They had her.

“I know plenty about your mother,” Kagome said. “She was kind; she was beautiful. She loved children. She did what she thought was best, consequences be damned. It was a positive attribute, and it made her a real bitch.”

“You sound like you know what you’re talking about.”

“She tried to kill me; she tried to drag Inuyasha to hell. She stole my jewel shards and gave them to Naraku. She was easily persuaded; she had fear and doubt in her heart. She was human, Suzuki-sensei.” Kagome paused. “Your mother was human.”

“So human she had sex with a hanyou and then abandoned his child,” Suzuki said angrily. Her aura flared angrily again; Morika started to stir with the flashes of Suzuki’s aura.

“Mate,” Inuyasha whispered.

“I know,” Kagome whispered back.

“Maybe she did have sex as a miko,” Kagome said. “Maybe she did get pregnant and leave her child, and go on and live her life. But can you honestly say that your life would have been better with her as your mother? Can you honestly say that you didn’t live a good life—that you _haven’t_ lived a good life?”

Suzuki scoffed. “You have no idea what you’re talking about Higurashi,” she replied angrily, squeezing the pup in her arms. Morika squeaked. “Do you even _know_ what my life was like? I was the leftover child; the one who didn’t matter. I was the afterthought. I did _everything I could_ to make my adopted parents love me. But I was clearly a charity case; I clearly didn’t matter.”

“But is it better to not matter, or to be the brunt of ridicule?” Inuyasha asked quietly. “Because if you’d stayed with Kikyo, that’s what would have happened.”

“Inuyasha,” said Kagome softly, feeling her mate’s pain and embarrassment through her mark. Her eyes began to fill with tears.

“It’s okay, ‘Gome,” said Inuyasha, smiling grimly at her. He turned to Suzuki. “So what that your mama gave you up? So what that you were ignored? Kikyo did what she did to protect you, to keep you safe from Onigumo. Don’t you ever forget that, Suzuki!”

The sound of her father’s voice made Morika perk up. She started whining in Suzuki’s arms, barking and squirreling about. “Pa!” Morika cried out. “Pa!”

“Pup!” Inuyasha howled, and Suzuki tried to hold onto the pup tighter.

“You’re not getting her without giving me your soul, Higurashi!” she bellowed.

“Fuck off, Suzuki!” Inuyasha screamed. He pulled the Tetsusaiga from its sheath and pointed it right at the dark miko.

“Inuyasha!” screamed Kagome. “Don’t!”

Before either of them could make a move, there was a flash of red light and Suzuki let out a shriek of pain. Morika fell from her grip. A great ball of energy rushed forward; Morika was gone. Inuyasha scented that his brother had the pup. It was time.

“Mate,” said Inuyasha.

“Ready,” Kagome said.

Kagome instantly nocked an arrow and aimed it right at Suzuki.

“So this is how it ends, Higurashi?” Suzuki sneered. “You and your loyal puppy think you can do me in?”

“I _know_ we can, Suzuki-sensei,” Kagome said coldly. “You took our pup. _You hurt her_. _You drew her blood_. Now you die.”

Suzuki flung off her cloak and unleashed her youki. It was huge and powerful, and was billowing out across the landscape. Her arrow still nocked, Kagome reached back into her third eye and drew forth all the power the she had, channeling it into the arrow. She took a deep breath and let her arrow fly.

“Get back, everyone!” she screeched as the arrow landed right in front of Suzuki.

Suzuki looked up at Kagome, her jagged mouth twisting into a smile.

“You missed,” she taunted.

“Did I?” Kagome’s face broke out into a dark smile.

And then, her aura shot forth from the arrow in a mighty pulsation, coursing through the ground and into the sky, cleansing the air of Suzuki’s aura in a great gust of wind crackling pink. Everyone had leapt back; if they hadn’t, Sesshomaru, Shippou, and Kirara surely would have been purified. Kagome’s warning was in time.

Suzuki screamed as Kagome’s aura flew back towards her. She threw up a barrier just in time to block protect herself from the flow of power, her own barrier being eaten way by the sheer force of Kagome’s attack.

“Now, Inuyasha!” yelled Kagome.

Inuyasha was more than ready for this. His bloodlust curdled under his skin, and the Tetsusaiga turned blood red. With all the anger in his heart, he barreled towards Suzuki, swinging the Tetsusaiga. The red Tetsusaiga met Suzuki’s barrier with a clang and cleaved right through it. “Suzuki!” Inuyasha roared. Suzuki looked up at him and threw up her arms to block him. Her aura brust forth and met the Tetsusaiga, repelling it and pushing Inuyasha back several meters into a tree. He hit the tree with a mighty crack, breaking it clean in half, then he sank to the ground.

Suzuki looked from Inuyasha, gasping for air on the ground, to Kagome, still looking cool and collected, her own barrier swirling around her body.

“Looks like the puppy is out of commission, Higurashi,” Suzuki stated gleefully. “That means it’s just me and you.”

“Sesshomaru, is my pup safe?” Kagome called.

“We’ve got her, Kagome-chan,” came Sango’s voice from somewhere behind Kagome. “We’re okay.”

“Sango-chan, take my pup and get as far from her as you can,” Kagome said firmly. “Onii-san, I need you.”

Sesshomaru flew up beside Kagome, a dark look on his face. Kagome giggled in spite of herself. “Sorry, my Lord. I can’t help it.”

“Miko,” growled Sesshomaru, “do _not_ refer to this one so informally.”

“Sesshomaru, please,” said Kagome. “Take Inuyasha and get him somewhere safe.”

“Miko,” began Sesshomaru.

“No need, mate,” said Inuyasha, grunting as he pushed himself up to a kneeling, then standing, position. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Kagome let out a breath of relief at seeing him stand on his own. “Then we finish this together,” she said. “Just like when we were inside Naraku.”

Inuyasha leaned on the Tetsusaiga and heaved himself over to his mate and his brother. “We do this together,” Inuyasha agreed. “Sess, are you in?”

“Hn,” said Sesshomaru, unsheathing the Bakusaiga.

“Suzuki!” bellowed Inuyasha, drawing on all of his strength to stand upright. He pointed the Tetsusaiga right at the dark miko. “I would have spared you, seeing as how you are Kikyo’s child. I loved her once, and had she had you with her when I met her, I would have accepted you, no questions asked. Because you were a part of Kikyo. And sure, it would have been hard for me, but I would have fucking done it. Because I know what it’s like to be the town outcast, and I wouldn’t have wanted that for you.

“But now,” he growled, “You harmed my pup, and you threatened my mate. I can’t fucking forgive you for that, even if you are Kikyo’s offspring. I’m sorry.”

Suzuki smiled that awful, jagged smile. “I would expect nothing less from you, _Inuyasha_ ,” she sneered. “But I will have Higurashi’s soul. I need it, and it’s going to be mine.”

“Fuck off!” he barked. “There’s no fucking way in hell you’re getting close to her!”

“Really?” Suzuki said. “But do you think you can really stop me, dog?” Before anyone could make a move, Suzuki opened her mouth and roared. Pouring from her mouth came thousands of insect youkai, jeering, drooling, hissing. And they headed straight for Kagome, Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru.

“Miroku! Sango! Shippou!” Inuyasha screamed. Miroku rushed forward to join the fray. Sango, Shippou, and the pup stayed close to Kirara.

The youkai came: they were fast, they were disgusting, and their fangs dripped in anticipation of tearing the small band of friends to pieces.

“ _Kaze no kizu!_ ”

“ _Bakusaiga_!”

Kagome quickly fired arrow after arrow at the incoming demons; Miroku backed her up by flinging ofuda and taking out the youkai close to them with his shakujo. On and on they fought, but the demons kept flowing from Suzuki’s mouth, Suzuki herself engaged in some strange and demonic laughter that chilled Kagome to her very bones.

“I guess we know she’s Naraku’s kid, after all!” Inuyasha bellowed, hacking away furiously at the youkai attacking him, swiftly becoming covered in bits of demon.

“Hn,” Sesshomaru replied, “less talking, little brother.” His Bakusaiga was sweeping away the youkai, but it was no good if they kept coming.

“We’ve got to get to the source, Inuyasha!” called Miroku.

“Fuck it all, Miroku, I know _that_!” yelled Inuyasha in return, unleashing another _kaze no kizu_ upon the youkai coming at him. But they shimmered away to ash only to be replaced by more. The whole sky was dark; the sun was blocked by the thousands of youkai descending upon the clearing.

Then, suddenly… “Inuyasha!” shouted Kagome. “I’m out of arrows!”

“Fuck!” he cursed. “Mate, go get Sango! Take our pup and protect her!”

“I’m not gonna step out of a battle with _her_!” Kagome shrieked.

“I’m not asking you to ‘step out’ of anything!” Inuyasha roared. “Sango can fill in for you and you can put up a barrier. I’m gonna need you to use all your power when the time comes. I don’t want you exhausted before the end of this!”

“Inuyasha—”

“Please, Kagome,” Inuyasha said, turning to her, his eyes bright as the missing sun. “Please. Protect our pup. Be ready to end it all.”

Kagome’s face fell at his pleading. Miroku knocked aside several youkai in front of her. She knew Inuyasha was right.

“Okay,” she shouted, taking off towards Kirara. “Sango-chan!” she yelled. “Tag team!”

“What?” Sango shouted.

Kagome held out her hands for Morika, who jumped happily into her mother’s waiting arms. “Take over for me,” Kagome said. “I’ll protect our pup.”

“Ma!” said Morika. Kagome snuggled her, relieved to have her pup back in her arms at last. She quickly turned her pup over, searching for where Suzuki had drawn blood, but Morika’s skin was perfect and unbroken. Kagome breathed out; Morika’s youki had healed her effectively.

Sango nodded once, grabbed Hiraikotsu, and took off in the direction of the battle.

“Shippou, Kirara,” Kagome said, “stay close.” She retreated into her third eye, her pup squirming in her arms, and quickly erected a barrier. She had grown skilled enough that she didn’t worry about purifying those under her protection anymore, but she did worry about the strain of protecting them against the onslaught of youkai.

“Ma! Ma!” Morika was now actively squirming, trying to get free. “Pa!” She pointed in Inuyasha’s directon.

“I know, pup,” said Kagome, desperately holding on to Morika. “We can’t go to Pa right now.”

“Morika-chan?” said Shippou tentatively. Morika looked down at Shippou. “I’m Shippou. I’m—I’m your brother.”

Kagome’s heart swelled with love for the little kitsune.

“Do you wanna see some tricks?” he asked her, and then “Is that okay?” to Kagome.

“Shippou-chan,” Kagome said, her voice breaking, “it’s _fine_.” She set Morika down, and immediately the pup tackled Shippou, who started pulling fox tricks from inside his yukata. Kirara growled.

“Keep an eye on her Kirara, please,” Kagome said. “If she makes a run for it, I’ll have to drop the barrier.”

Kirara growled in agreement, keeping one eye on the pup and the kitsune, and the other on the battle.

_Please_ , Kagome prayed, _please Inuyasha. We have to end this quickly_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How will the battle end? Find out in the next update! And as always, thanks to all of you for reading, so much! I love hearing your thoughts on the evolving story, which as you can see, will soon be coming to an end <3


	53. Settling the Score

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle with Suzuki comes to a climactic end. More drama ensues for Inuyasha and Kagome. A fluffy Sesshomaru sighting!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime. Everyone else is mine :)
> 
> Hello all! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and well.
> 
> We are getting close to the end! I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

As the youkai continued to flow fast and free from Suzuki’s mouth, Inuyasha knew they had to come up with a plan. He and Sesshomaru could annihilate the youkai all day, but Miroku and Sango were human, and they would grow tired quickly. And Kagome…he couldn’t afford to move his eyes towards his mate, but he needed her to keep her strength up. She could keep up that barrier for a good while, but doing that was going to deplete her energy. As soon as there was an opening, he was planning to unleash _Bakuryuha_ on Suzuki, but he needed Kagome’s added power to create a true finishing move. She was out of arrows, so he hoped she could channel enough power into her hands to create a torrent of energy like the one she had used against the amanojaku.

“Inuyasha!” Miroku and Sango were now fighting back-to-back, taking out the youkai as fast as they were coming. “There’s too many of them!” Miroku shouted. “We’re not going to last!”

“I know that, monk!” yelled Inuyasha. He unleashed a “ _kaze no kizu!_ ” with a howl and then pointed the Tetsusaiga directly at Suzuki. “Enough of this, Suzuki!” he bellowed. “It’s time we end this, once and for all!”

Suzuki stopped spewing youkai long enough to respond. “Fine by me,” she said, and her body instantly began to transform. Her arms became long, sinewy extensions—kind of like spider legs, only not so well defined—that she was able to whip around at will. They flew at Miroku and Sango, who were frantically trying to dodge. Her cloak blew back, revealing her long, dark hair, which shot up straight into the air, and now also snaked forth like thousands of little tentacles.

All heading towards Kagome.

“Kagome!” Inuyasha screamed. Kagome looked up; she’d been concentrating so hard on the barrier that she hadn’t noticed Suzuki change shape. He could see her face grow white with fear, then scrunch down, as though trying to solidify her barrier. He couldn’t unleash a _kaze no kizu_ without getting too close to Kagome and everyone inside her barrier, and the Tetsusaiga couldn’t take out all those tentacles at once. “Sesshomaru!” he bellowed instead.

Seshomaru acted quickly. His energy whip flashed out and incinerated the hairs shooting towards Kagome. Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief; Kagome’s barrier held steady. But Suzuki’s arms were now sneaking around behind Inuyasha; one caught him solidly and held his arms tight against his torso. The other came after Sesshomaru, but he simply flicked it away with his energy whip; no need for Bakusaiga against her arms. Inuyasha struggled against Suzuki’s arm, howling and roaring, but unable to break free. He swung the Tetsusaiga wildly about, but without a full range of motion, he was unable to do any damage.

“Hiraikotsu!” Sango yelled, and her giant bone boomerang whipped through the air, slicing through Suzuki’s arm and freeing Inuyasha.

“Sango!” Inuyasha called in thanks. She nodded curtly and retrieved her weapon, assuming a fighting stance beside her husband. It was now or never; Inuyasha knew.

“Prepare to die, Suzuki!” he bellowed. Suzuki drew back her sliced arm, allowing it to regrow. She threw her arms up in the air as she pulled together her aura, preparing to hurl a massive attack.

“I may have my mother’s spiritual powers, Inuyasha,” she shouted, “but I have my father’s jyaki. And you’re going to get a full taste of it. _Now!”_

“Kagome!” Inuyasha roared.

Shippou grabbed Morika and hid behind one of Kirara’s hind legs as Kagome dropped her barrier. She quickly began crafting a massive ball of energy in her hands. Kagome poured all of her power and her love for her mate and her pup into that energy, allowing it grow and grow and turn a bright, pulsating pink.

As Suzuki unleashed her attack, Inuyasha saw his opportunity: the wind and Suzuki’s youki coming together. He raised the Tetsusaiga high over his head. “ _Bakuryuuha_!”

Kagome let out her own feral scream and unleashed her ball of energy. It sped towards Suzuki and became entwined in Inuyasha’s _Bakuryuuha_ , fully encompassing Suzuki’s attack and spinning it back upon the dark miko. 

There was a massive flash of of light; Kagome swiftly picked up her pup from Shippou and held her close, turning her back to shield them both from the light. The wind shot forth from the attack blew back over everyone; Shippou grabbed onto Kirara, while Sango slammed the Hiraikotsu into the ground and pulled Miroku’s hands about her waist. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru drove their swords into the ground and held fast.

Suzuki’s face twisted as her attack thrust back on her. She howled in pain as Inuyasha and Kagome’s combined attack tore apart her body. In a last act of desperation, Suzuki thrust out her hand, causing Kagome and Morika to fly up into the air. Kagome screamed; Inuyasha looked up in terror and saw his mate and pup high over the battlefield.

“Kagome!” he shrieked.

“Inuyasha!” she screamed.

Inuyasha had to act quickly, or Kagome and the pup would be killed. Gripping the Tetsusaiga, he bent his knees so low they almost touched the ground. Then, with a roar, he burst forth from the ground, the Tetsusaiga still in his hand. He positioned his body like a rocket, stiff and straight, heading straight towards his family. Kagome saw him coming. She secured the pup against her chest with one hand, and reached out towards him with the other. He threw his hand out, and they locked onto each other’s wrist, their eyes conveying love and relief. Inuyasha pulled them close and shifted his body back towards the earth, Kagome wrapping herself around Morika and Inuyasha’s torso. They hit the ground with a huge smash, and Inuyasha jammed the Tetsusaiga back into the earth, holding them all fast and safe.

Suzuki screamed as she fell victim to the combination of the _Bakuryuuha_ and Kagome’s power. She burst into a million pieces, her youki billowing out across the battlesfield, gradually fading from view.

As the pieces of Suzuki’s body floated to the ground, the wind slowly died down. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha let go of their swords; Kagome jumped down from her position around Inuyasha; Sango and Miroku released the Hiraikotsu. They all stood and looked at each other.

“Pa!” came Morika’s little husky voice. She leapt into her father’s arms. Kagome began to sob.

“Pup,” said Inuyasha hoarsely, holding his daughter close. She started to frantically lick his face all over; Inuyasha did the same to her. Kagome cried even harder.

“Miko,” said Sesshomaru, clearly annoyed by her display. Sango rushed forward and clasped Kagome in her arms, giving Sesshomaru as deadly a glare as she dared. Kagome collapsed against her friend, exhausted and sobbing and elated that it was over. Miroku put his arm around both girls, offering them both comfort. Shippou stayed back at first, hesitant about when he fit in, but when Kagome turned a little in Sango’s arms and reached out for him, he grinned and jumped onto her, clinging to her neck and kissing her.

Sesshomaru stood back and watched the reunion with disgust. The very public display of affection was more than he could take. That is, until Morika suddenly stopped licking her father’s face and turned to him. She began to whine in her father’s arms. Inuyasha loosened his grip, and watched with a huge grin as Morika jumped down and ran to her uncle. She began pawing at his legs, whining and yipping. Everyone stopped their hugs and tears and saw Morika trying to get into Sesshomaru’s arms.

“Pick her up, Sess,” said Inuyasha, snickering. This was _too_ good.

With a neutral expression, Sesshomaru picked up the pup. She immediately began climbing up his arms to perch herself on his shoulder. The Lord of the West gently held his niece in place as she rubbed her nose against his cheek, recapturing his scent. Kagome and Inuyasha tried to hold in their laughter, not wanting to interrupt the moment or embarrass Sesshomaru. Miroku, Sango, and Shippou watched in shock as Sesshomaru allowed his niece to so intimately nuzzle him. They turned in disbelief to Inuyasha and Kagome.

“I told you,” Kagome giggled quietly. “A giant puppy dog.”

Sesshomaru turned his terrible eyes on his sister-in-law, but she held his gaze steady, smiling.

Sesshomaru tried to put the pup down, but she began to cry, climbing back up his arm to settle herself on his shoulder.

“You have a fan, Sess,” Inuyasha laughed. “Better get used to it.”

“Your pup is most annoying, little brother,” Sesshomaru replied. “She definitely takes after you.”

“I’ll help you out, Sesshomaru,” said Kagome, going to stand in front of him and holding out her arms. Morika jumped from her uncle to her mother, and it was Kagome’s turn to nuzzle her daughter, cooing and tickling her.

“She’s so adorable, Kagome-chan,” Sango said.

“Ma,” Morika said.

Kagome’s heart swelled. “She is, Sango-chan,” Kagome replied. She kissed her pup gently on the head. “She’s perfect.”

Suddenly, Morika turned her head, clearly sniffing the air. Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged a glance, and Inuyasha suddenly smiled. He nodded to his wife, and she smiled back, holding out Morika to Sango.

“Kagome-chan?” Sango said.

“Here,” Kagome said gently. “You too, Miroku-sama…Shippou-chan.”

Miroku went to stand by his wife as she accepted Morika from Kagome. Husband and wife stood close together, gently tickling the pup, who eagerly scented them, licking their faces, too. Kagome was too overcome to speak; she knew Morika could tell that they smelled like Hideaki, and she was acknowledging that they were his parents.

Shippou scampered over beside them and climbed up to Miroku’s shoulder, anxious to get close to his adopted sister. She yipped and licked his cheek, too.

Kagome’s quavering emotions brought Inuyasha to her side in an instant. Her tucked her close into his side, nestling his face in her hair. She sighed and allowed the tears to silently fall.

“Now that your pup has been returned to you safely, little brother,” Sesshomaru said abruptly, causing everyone to look up at him, “this Sesshomaru will take his leave.”

“Wait, onii-san,” called Inuyasha. He picked up Kagome and crossed quickly to Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru looked at him with a quirked eyebrow. Inuyasha took a breath. “Thank you,” he said simply.

Sesshomaru nodded and made to leave, but Kagome reached out and grabbed his sleeve. He turned a deadly glare onto her, but the sight of her face, pure and shining and thankful, made him stop. She dropped his sleeve and bowed. “Thank you,” she said.

Sesshomaru grunted an assent. “At least one of you is not a fool,” he said.

Kagome flushed while Inuyasha growled.

“A moment, my Lord,” she said, “before you go.”

“What is it, miko?” he asked sharply.

“When you were able to get Morika from Suzuki-sensei,” she began, “did you see that flash of red light?”

Sesshomaru nodded once.

“What—what do you think it was?”

Miroku and Sango looked up from playing with Morika to hear the Western Lord’s opinion.

Sesshomaru sighed. “This Sesshomaru is surprised you were not able to tell,” he said.

“I—I—think it was her aura,” Kagome whispered. Inuyasha’s eyes snapped open wide.

“Again, little miko,” said Sesshomaru, “you have surprisingly been trained well.” He looked from her to his brother. “You are correct. Your pup has spiritual powers.”

“How is that possible, in someone so young?” breathed Miroku.

“Monk,” said Sesshomaru sharply. “ _You_ are supposedly a spiritual man. _You_ should be able to answer that.”

“I know,” said Inuyasha quietly. A hint of a smile played across Sesshomaru’s lips.

“ _How_ , anata?” asked Kagome softly.

“She was in danger,” said Inuyasha, unsure whether to laugh or cry or howl with pride. “She was in danger, and she protected herself.” His ears flattened against his head; Kagome embraced her mate. “It’s not your fault, anata,” she whispered.

Inuyasha desperately wrapped his arms around his mate and wife, drinking in her love for him—her love for both of them. He closed his eyes, inhaling her scent, allowing it to relax him.

Kagome turned to face Sesshomaru. “Thank you again, My Lord,” she said simply. Inuyasha opened his eyes. “See you in the future, you bastard,” he growled, his arms growing tighter around his mate.

“And there he is, the little brother we all know and love,” said the Western Lord, turning to retreat to the village to collect his vassal.

“We should go say goodbye to Kaede,” Kagome said to her mate.

Inuyasha nodded, but was not ready to let Kagome go.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome said. “I want to get our pup home as soon as possible.” He growled, but reluctantly released her.

“Morika!” he called. Their pup toddled over to her father. He scooped her up and slipped an arm around Kagome.

“Okay,” he said. “Let’s make it quick, then.”

* * *

Kaede and Rin were outside the hut, tending to the garden, when Kaede felt a quickening in her heart. She gasped and looked up to see Inuyasha and Kagome leading the way, their pup between them; Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and Kirara were following them close behind. Rin let out a cry and ran to Inuyasha and Kagome; Kaede smiled and sank to the ground in relief.

“Kagome-sama! Inuyasha-sama!” Rin cried.

Kagome smiled and opened her arms. “Rin!” she cried, and Rin jumped into Kagome’s arms. Kagome hugged her tightly, remembering this would be the last time she would see Rin as a child. Morika began squirming in Inuyasha’s arms, demanding to be let go. She recognized Rin’s scent, as well.

Kagome set Rin down gently, and Inuyasha handed Morika over to her. Morika immediately settled herself on Rin’s shoulder, nuzzling her cheek and licking her. Inuyasha put his arm around Kagome; they both knew that Morika was acknowledging Rin as her aunt.

“How did everything go, Kagome?” asked Kaede. Sango went to the elderly miko’s side and helped her to rise.

Kagome smiled. “Morika is fine. We are all fine.” Her smile faded. “We had to kill Suzuki, Kaede-obaa-chan. I’m so sorry.”

Kaede’s smile was sad and did not reach her eyes. “It’s okay,” Kaede replied. “She may have been Kikyo’s in terms of blood, but Kikyo would never kidnap and harm a child. Suzuki had too much of Onigumo in her.”

“I agree, obaba,” said Inuyhasha gruffly. “She had no remorse for her actions, not even at the end. She tried to kill Kagome and our pup.”

Kaede blanched as Rin giggled; Morika was licking her like mad. “She really likes me, Kagome-sama!” she said gleefully.

Kagome and Inuyasha grinned. “You’re easy to like, kiddo,” said Inuyasha gruffly.

“Here, Kaede-obaa-sama,” said Rin, plucking Morika from her shoulder and holding her out to the elderly miko. Morika looked skeptically at Kaede, then broke out into a wide grin and struggled in Rin’s grasp. Rin let her go, and Morika jumped into Kaede’s surprised arms.

“Well,” Kaede chuckled, “hello there, little one.”

“Her name’s Morika, Kaede-obaa-sama,” Rin gently reminded her.

“Hello there, Morika,” Kaede said. The pup took a moment to scent Kaede, then pulled back hesitatingly, but didn’t leave the elderly miko’s arms. Kaede looked up at Inuyasha and Kagome, surprised.

“She can tell you smell a little like Suzuki,” Inuyasha said gruffly, “and she’s not sure what to make of it.”

“Oh,” Kaede soothed the pup, “you have nothing to fear from me, Morika-chan.”

Settled by Kaede’s soft tone, the pup nestled into Kaede’s arms and began to purr.

Kagome laid a hand on Inuyasha’s arm. He looked down at her; the tears were silently spilling over her cheeks. His heart caught; he thought about all he had been given, especially in the last eighteen months, and how much he had almost lost. Once upon a time, he spent all his thinking and emotions on bitterness and hatred: he could not escape the torment and bullying he faced in his youth. When he fell in love with Kikyo, it was a chance for him to find someone to connect with, yes, but when it came down to it, in some ways, she was no better than those who bullied him as a child. She only wanted half of him, not all of him. And he was willing, because it had been a _long_ time since someone had wanted all of him, as his mother had.

Inuyasha’s chest tightened at the thought of his mother. She would have loved Kagome, he was sure, and she would have loved Morika. In so many ways, Kagome and his mother were a lot alike. Perhaps that’s why his heart was ultimately drawn to Kagome, and not to Kikyo. Yes, Kagome loved all of him, and was selfless and free with her love, but her simple acceptance of him was something he hadn’t experienced since he’d lost his mother.

He felt a small tug on his sleeve. He blinked, and realized Kagome was now gazing up at him, her chocolate brown eyes warm with love. “What are you thinking about, anata?” she asked quietly.

“My mother,” he said in a low voice. “You are so much like her. She would have loved you.”

Kagome’s face in that moment was something Inuyasha would never forget. She was dirty, and bloodied, and scratched, but her gaze was fierce, and passionate, and perfect. He often felt like he’d never love her more than he did in one particular moment, but the _way_ she was looking at him, the _love_ radiating from her pores, made him crush her to him and press his lips to hers. She let out a tiny gasp at his very public display of affection, then relaxed into his hold, returning his kiss, running her hands inside his haori and kosode so she could feel him. Her touch was cooling against his boiling skin.

When Kagome at last broke the kiss, she looked up at him for one long, paralyzing moment, her eyes twinkling in the sunlight. Inuyasha couldn’t help it; he leaned forward and kissed her one more, lightly, then released her and turned to their friends.

“It’s time to go,” he said roughly. Kagome’s face fell, but she nodded.

Kagome stepped forward and took Morika from Kaede. “Thank you, Kaede-obaa-chan,” she said. “I didn’t get to say it last time, so let me say it now. Thank you for taking me in, for training me, for protecting me, for believing in me.”

Kaede smiled. “Kagome,” she said simply.

Kagome nodded. Inuyasha clapped Kaede on the shoulder and held her gaze for a moment. Something unspoken passed between them, and Inuyasha nodded. He released her shoulder and turned to Rin. To everyone’s surprise, he ruffled her hair.

“Be a good girl,” he said. She looked up at him, surprised. She jumped into his arms, and he held her tight for a long moment; Kagome’s breath caught at the love he showed for his future sister-in-law.

Kagome balanced Morika on one arm and hugged Rin with the other. “Goodbye, Rin,” she said softly.

“Kagome-sama,” said Rin. “Be good.”

Kagome laughed raucously. She couldn’t help it.

Inuyasha set Rin down and turned to Shippou next. “You’re in charge while I’m gone, runt,” he said. “Behave, and take care of things around here for me.”

Shippou nodded, his green eyes shining with admiration.

“Goodbye, Shippou-chan,” said Kagome softly, her tears spilling over again. She held out her free arm and Shippou jumped into it. She hugged him tightly.

“Please behave for Miroku-sama and Sango-chan,” she said softly. “I will miss you, my child.”

Shippou looked for all the heavens like he wanted to burst into tears, but Inuyasha gently cuffed him on the head. “No tears, runt,” he said. “We don’t want your mother to worry.”

Shippou blinked several times, holding back the tears, and nodded bravely.

Kagome set him down and she and Inuyasha turned to Miroku and Sango. “How do we say goodbye?” she said desperately. “In some ways, it was easier just being sucked into the Meido.”

Sango pulled Kagome and Morika into a hug. “I’m so grateful,” she said quietly. “I’m grateful to have met you, I’m grateful to have helped you save your pup, and I’m grateful that you are my sister. I’m even grateful that you’re mated to Inuyasha. He’s _much_ tamer now.”

“Hey!” Inuyasha shouted. Sango and Kagome laughed together.

“You’re the strongest woman I know, Sango-chan,” Kagome replied. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Sango said.

“Don’t kill your husband,” Kagome added.

Sango laughed again and slipped her arm through Miroku’s. “You two will be incredible parents,” Kagome sighed, thinking of Hideaki. She leaned forward and kissed Miroku on the cheek. “There you go, you lech. I love you too.”

“Kagome-sama,” said Miroku, his voice thick with emotion.

“Yeah, yeah,” said Inuyasha, pushing his mate out of the way. He turned and looked at Miroku and Sango for a long moment. Then, suddenly, he bowed. “Sango, Miroku,” he said. “This one thanks you for helping to get our pup back, and for your years of companionship. You will be greatly missed.”

Sango blushed, and Miroku blinked at him blankly. Kagome gazed at her mate starry-eyed. She _loved_ when he got all official. Inuyasha smirked, scenting the spike in her arousal.

Miroku cleared his throat awkwardly, then bowed in return. He yanked on Sango to do the same. “It was our honor, Higurashi Kagome, Shikon no Tama no Miko, and Lord Inuyasha, son of the Inu no Taisho,” he said formally. “We will miss you, too.”

Inuyasha cleared his throat and grinned widely, his fangs dipping over his lower lip. He turned to his mate. “Come on, ‘Gome,” he said. “Let’s get our pup home.”

Kagome smiled back and took his hand, Morika still nestled in her other arm. Inuyasha hefted her backpack, quiver, and bow, slinging them all over his shoulder. They began the long walk back to the well; Sango, Miroku, and Shippou followed.

As they walked, Kagome rocked Morika gently; she eventually closed her little eyes and went to sleep. Kagome and Inuyasha looked down at their pup, dozing as though she hadn’t been kidnapped and held for ransom until just a few hours before.

“Are you okay?” Kagome whispered to her mate.

“I’m fine,” he whispered back. “I love you.”

“You don’t want to stay behind?” she asked him.

“Not a chance in hell,” he said. “Our future is in the future. We’ve done too much there to give it all up. Besides,” he added, smirking, “I have to get back to see Sess’ fucking face now that he’s gonna remember all this.”

Kagome laughed.

“Do you want to stay?” Inuyasha asked her.

“Home is where you are, anata,” she replied simply. “If you wanted to stay here, I’d stay. If you wanted to go back home, I’d go. I’ll go anywhere with you.”

He leaned over and kissed her cheek as they walked. She beamed.

The sight of the Bone Eater’s Well made them both pause. The battle they’d fought with Suzuki was still plain to see: the grass was scorched, the trees were broken, and the sky was still a little hazy. But the well was still there, intact, and Kagome grinned. She ran forward, careful not to wake Morika, pulling Inuyasha along.

Together, they turned back to their friends. Inuyasha nodded his thanks again, and Kagome smiled softly. Sango hid her face in Miroku’s robes so they wouldn’t see her cry, and Shippou sat, blinking madly, on Miroku’s shoulder. Inuyasha and Kagome turned to face the well.

“Ready, mate?” Inuyasha asked her.

“Ready,” she replied.

“Then, jump!”

Everything went dark as Inuyasha felt as though his soul was being ripped right out of his body. Kagome’s hand was pulling him in one direction; his body was being pulled in another. The agony of being ripped in two was more than he could stand, and he howled as he felt Kagome’s hand yank out of his grasp, leaving him behind in Sengoku Jidai. Kagome's screams for him were the last thing that he heard from her.

“Kagome!” he roared in agony. “Kagome! Kagome!” He hit the ground with his fists, over and over.

“Inuyasha!” called Miroku. “What is it? What’s happened?”

“ _Fuck_!” came the desperate, heartbroken reply from inside the well. “Not fucking _again!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What has happened to Inuyasha? Where are Kagome and Morika? Find out in the next update!
> 
> And as always, thank you so much for the kudos and comments. I love to hear what your thoughts are as you read, and have gotten some excellent feedback. So thank you for being such thoughtful and engaged readers; I really appreciate it <3


	54. The Truth Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome and Inuyasha's fate is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime. Everyone else is mine.
> 
> Hello, all! I hope this update finds you well.
> 
> First, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who commented on the last chapter! It really pushed me to re-edit this chapter and get it posted, largely because I hope that it will make up for the emotional ringer that was Chapter 53. Please enjoy!

“Is it her?”

“Does she have the pup?”

“We have to move quickly, anata.”

Kagome gradually began to be aware of voices from somewhere above her. She shook her head side to side; she felt someone close by take something out of her arms, and she was being gently lifted and raised up, up, and up. She groaned as the movement caused her stomach to roll.

“Kagome?” a familiar voice said. Her eyes blinked open, and slowly things came into focus.

She was in the shed that housed the Bone Eater’s Well. In modern Tokyo. There were several faces peering at her: her mother, who had spoken; Rin, who was rubbing her hand; Sayua and Asuka, their faces lined with both relief and worry; and Hideaki, who was running his hands through his hair repeatedly, an agonized look on his face. Her mother was holding something small. _Her pup_.

In a panic, she recalled the last few moments. She and Inuyasha had jumped into the well together, with Morika. Then, tremendous pain: her soul being ripped out of her body. Somewhere, somehow, they’d become separated. And now, she was there. Without…

“Inuyasha?” she asked tentatively.

No one said anything.

“Inuyasha?” she asked again, looking around. Strong hands held her close, but the panic was already settling in.

“Inuyasha?” Her voice was getting desperate.

“Miko.” It was Sesshomaru who held her; she looked up into his eyes and saw… _pity_.

“Where is he, Sesshomaru?” she asked. Surely Sesshomaru would tell her where he was.

“Miko,” he said again. “Your mate…did not follow you back.”

Her eyes grew wild. “Sesshomaru.” Asuka let out a sob and collapsed against her sister; Hideaki put his arms around them both.

“Inuyasha is not here, miko.” His eyes were truly sad. “This Sesshomaru is sorry. He did not follow you back.”

And Kagome fell apart.

She screamed; she wept brokenly; her aura sparked; she beat at Sesshomaru with her fists to try and get away. But Sesshomaru held her steady, not even cringing when her power crackled against his skin, leaving tiny divots of smoke and burn marks in his clothing.

Everyone stood and watched, unable to help, unable to provide any words of comfort.

Finally, Kagome exhausted herself, collapsing against Sesshomaru and allowing him to lift her easily in his arms.

“We need to get her and the pup inside, Oba-sama,” he said to Mrs. Higurashi.

“Inuaysha,” Kagome whispered against Sesshomaru’s chest.

Mrs. Higurashi’s eyes filled with tears. She nuzzled Morika close. “Of course, my Lord,” she said hoarsely. “Let’s take her to the cottage.”

They were a sad procession that moved from the Bone Eater’s Well to Inuyasha and Kagome’s cottage. When Sesshomaru reached the door, Kagome buried her face against him. “I can’t,” she said.

“Miko,” said Sesshomaru softly. “You must.”

Rin opened the screen and allowed everyone in. Sesshomaru laid Kagome on the couch; Mrs. Higurashi laid Morika on her mother’s chest. “Pup,” Kagome said weakly.

“Ma,” Morika said happily.

The word made Kagome burst into tears again. “Yes, Morika,” Kagome choked, “I’m your Ma.” She snuggled her pup tight; Morika was all she had left of her mate. The thought broke her, and she wept, deeply and openly, Morika climbing over her mother’s face and frantically licking away the tears. “Pa,” Morika said.

“No, Morika-chan,” said Kagome in a raspy voice. “Pa’s not here.”

And the pup also began to mewl desperately, knowing from the scents in the room that her mother was right. Together, mother and pup cried for their lost mate and father, Morika snuggled deeply in her mother’s arms.

Rin and Mrs. Higurashi clung to each other, tears in their eyes.

“What will happen now?” Mrs. Higurashi whispered.

Rin didn’t reply, but squeezed Mrs. Higurashi’s arm in response.

Hideaki stood in the corner of the room, his face taut with pain, his arms crossed, his head down. He couldn’t bear to watch Kagome and Morika; he’d been the one who helped them go back to begin with. Maybe it was something he did that kept Inuyasha from returning. Sayua made to go to him, but he could not accept her embrace; the guilt was etched all over his face. She and her sister held each other instead, Asuka quietly sobbing.

Sesshomaru stood in the other corner of the room, watching the scene unfold. “Rin,” he said.

Rin crossed the room to her mate. “Anata?” she asked.

Sesshomaru reached out and folded her close to his body. She sighed and put her arms around his waist. He dipped his head and inhaled her scent, seeking comfort. She stroked his back silently, lovingly, watching Kagome sob as though her soul was gone. Because in a way, it was.

Rin felt tears prick the corners of her eyes. She’d been mated to Sesshomaru for so long; to imagine he was gone, even for an instant, would have been too much for her to bear. She held him tighter, and felt his arms crush her to him, his face impassive but still lowered close to her.

Mrs. Higurashi sat beside her daughter, rubbing her shoulders, gently patting her grandpup, the tears flowing freely from her eyes, as well.

They all stayed like this for a good while, the only sound in the room Kagome’s poor, broken weeping, everyone too stunned to speak or to do anything else.

Kagome couldn’t move; she couldn’t speak; she couldn’t _breathe_. After everything they had been through—after everything that they had _come through, together_ —the well—that _stupid fucking well_ —was going to keep them apart? Again? Now?

Kagome screamed and beat the sofa, over and over, screaming for her husband, her mate, the father of her pup, her love. She smashed her hands down over her ears, the sound of her wailing too much even for her, and turned her body away from the room, into the darkness and security of the back of the couch, curled up into a tiny ball, her pup snuggling deep into her, still snuffling. Mrs. Higurashi continued to rub Kagome’s back, looking up at Rin and Sesshomaru for help, but they looked as pained as she was.

 _Oh gods_ , Kagome thought, the tears dried up but still dry heaving, _I can’t go on like this._

Not without _him._

The screen door slammed open, the sound so shocking that everyone’s head whipped up, including Kagome’s.

“Oi,” said a familiar voice weakly. “What the fuck happened here? Did someone die?”

Sesshomaru and Rin breathed a sigh of relief; Hideaki looked up, shocked beyond all sense of understanding; Asuka and Sayua began weeping anew; Mrs. Higurashi gasped and leapt to her feet.

Kagome struggled to sit up, Morika climbing all over her chest and face. She blinked slowly.

“ _Inu-ya-sha_?”

* * *

He was pale and thin; his golden eyes were listless, with dark circles under them, his cheeks hollowed out. His fire-rat haori hung limply off his emaciated body. His beautiful silver hair was greasy and fell about him in clumps; his ears were flat against his head. But it was him; _he was there_.

He smiled thinly. “Hey, mate.”

Kagome leaned on her mother to rise, then slowly shuffled across the room, as though she was having difficulty putting two steps together. Morika balanced on her mother’s arm.

“It’s really you?” Kagome asked softly.

Inuyasha’s smile got a little wider. He held out his arms to her, his fangs dipping over his bottom lip. “It’s really me, _Ka-Go-Me_.”

Morika jumped down as Kagome launched across the room and into his arms. Inuyasha staggered a bit under the force of Kagome’s embrace, but he held on to her tightly, crushing her in his arms as much as he could. Morika yipped and howled and danced around her parents, ecstatic to have them reunited.

Inuyasha took a moment and buried his face in Kagome’s hair, inhaling her scent. “Gods, it’s so fucking good to smell you again, koishii,” he breathed.

“You’re acting like you haven’t seen me in years, Inuyasha,” Kagome said.

“That’s because I haven’t,” he replied, loosening his hold on her just enough to scoop up their pup with one arm.

“Wait, what do you mean?” she asked, panicking.

“Remember that secret mission I was on for Sesshomaru, Kagome?” asked Shippou, who had followed Inuyasha into the cottage quietly, so as to not divert attention away from the happy reuinion.

Kagome turned to Shippou, surprised. “I do, Shippou-chan,” she replied. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Inuyasha took Kagome’s chin between his thumb and forefinger and turned her face to his. “ _I_ was the secret mission, ‘Gome,” he said. “Shippou was guarding _me_.”

* * *

Kagome sat at the kitchen table, her head in her hands, a steaming cup of very strong tea close by. If her mother hadn’t been in the nursery, putting Morika down for a nap, she would have asked Hideaki to pour her some sake, but as it was, she probably needed all her wits about her, anyway.

Inuyasha sat close beside her. He looked like hell, and he felt even worse. After all, he’d basically been wallowing in the depths of it since he and Kagome had separated. But now he was back beside his wife and mate; he could feel his insides starting to heal just being close to her aura again. It was the greatest relief he’d ever felt in his life. Inuyasha had said on more than one occasion he was never going to let her out of his sight, but this time, he fucking meant it. He’d felt like he was slowly, painfully, agonizingly dying during his time without her, that feeling constant and never-ending, and he couldn’t let either of them ever, _ever_ , go through that again.

However, how in all of the hells was he going to explain to her where he’d been, and what happened?

Shippou sat across from Kagome, eyeing his friends carefully. He could detect that this was a fragile moment, and that what happened next could make or break the rest of Inuyasha and Kagome’s relationship. They had to tread carefully. He thought that perhaps he had an idea of how to help.

“Kagome,” Shippou said. Kagome lifted her head to look at Shippou. Inuyasha whined instinctively at the pain his mate was feeling. She turned to him and took one of his hands in her own and kissed it softly. He whined again and nuzzled her cheek. Her heart pained at how fragile he seemed.

Shippou hated to interrupt, but she needed to know.

“Do you still have that letter that Miroku wrote you? That told you what we were all up to after you two left us? Inuyasha once told me about it.” Kagome nodded. Shippou’s face was soft and kind. “Why don’t you go get it and read it again? The contents might have changed a bit since the last time you read it.”

Kagome looked at him, confused, as did Inuyasha. But she trusted her old friend, and, giving Inuyasha a kiss on the cheek, she went to their bedroom to retrieve the letter.

While she was gone, Shippou looked at Inuyasha hard. “How are you?”

Inuyasha snorted. “I feel like shit, runt.” He coughed, his ribs cracking under the force. Even breathing was hard.

“You look like it too, little brother,” said Sesshomaru from the corner of the room. Rin was still pressed close to him; since the incident had occurred, he had no desire to let go of his mate. Inuyasha shot him a deadly glare but was silent as Kagome returned to the kitchen.

“Here it is, Shippou,” Kagome said, this time sitting in Inuyasha’s lap at the table. He pulled her close and nestled his chin against her shoulder. “I don’t see how this will be helpful, though.”

“Open it and read it, Kagome,” urged Shippou gently.

Kagome opened the envelope and gingerly removed the letter. She let out a surprised gasp.

“What is it, mate?” asked Inuyasha.

“The letter’s different,” Kagome said. She began to read:

_Dear Kagome,_

_If you are reading this, then I can assume that Inuyasha has been safely restored to your time and you are reunited with your mate and your pup. Sango, Kaede, Shippou, and I are ecstatic for you._

_You may be wondering what happened after you and Morika made it back through the Bone Eater’s Well alone. It’s time to tell you._

_After you left, Inuyasha tried to get through the well repeatedly, but to no avail. We thought there would be no issue. We even thought that if he used his blood, like you did to get through the first time, that it would work. But it seems that method can only be used so many times, or only works one way, or something, and so we needed to find a way to get him through via a different strategy._

_For weeks Inuyasha continued his efforts. Kaede and I helped him; we tried everything. We chanted; we used scrolls; we used sacred items; we used everything we could think of. The effect of not having his mate with him was devastating on Inuyasha: he couldn’t eat, he couldn’t sleep, he could barely function. Kaede and I knew we had to do something to get him back to you; he wasn’t going to make it 500 years._

_Please do not feel like this is your fault; it’s not. Mates cannot survive for long without each other. I think the only thing keeping him going was the knowledge that you were not dead; you just technically hadn’t been born yet. So his body was doing the bare minimum to keep itself alive and waiting for you. He missed you more than he will ever be able to tell you, even though he has developed quite an extensive vocabulary, thanks to his tutors. Whoever they are, they must be outstanding._

Kagome looked up at Hideaki; his eyes were shining with tears. Sayua crossed the room to her mate, and this time, he welcomed her embrace. Hideaki smiled at Kagome, and she smiled back, nodding her head softly. She turned back to the letter.

_Then, Kaede had the idea to seal him. It’s not like it hadn’t been done before successfully, and it had even managed to freeze the aging process. We thought that might be the best option to getting him back to you in one piece. He would sleep, he wouldn’t age, and he would avoid any of the impact that not having his mate might have on him. So Kaede, Inuyasha, and I began our research. It took us a good six lunar cycles to find a possible sealing spell, and another six to collect everything we needed. Our biggest issue, though, was where to keep him safely sealed away. Five hundred years was a long time, and we knew how drastically the world would change._

_That’s when Inuyasha had the idea to ask his brother._

Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru, surprised. He stared back at her, nonplussed.

“Keep reading, ‘Gome,” said Inuyasha, adjusting her a little on his lap.

_Sesshomaru agreed to allow Inuyasha to be sealed away in the catacombs under his manor. He could be safely hidden there for any number of years, and clearly we knew that Sesshomaru would be alive in your time. Finally, after just over a full twelve lunar cycles, we were ready for the sealing._

_Kagome, I take no pride in what Kaede and I did that day. We did it so that Inuyasha would be protected, and so that he would live to be reunited with you in the future. But it was easily the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I cannot write about it here; my guilt at being a willing participant in the sealing of my best friend is too great. Please know that if Inuyasha is ever ready to talk, you should listen, and love him, like I know that you do._

Kagome paused to look at Inuyasha; his ears were flattened against his head, and his deadened eyes were full and shiny. He nuzzled her cheek and she continued to read, trying to hold back her own tears, but not being completely successful.

 _For the first few years, I am ashamed to say that we did not pay as much attention to Inuyasha as I would have liked. Sango had several children; Kaede was getting older; and Shippou was training to become a top kitsune. We ended up asking Kirara to help guard Inuyasha from time to time, which she was always glad to do, but we hated taking her away from Sango and later, from Kohaku. Sesshomaru finally came up with a solution: he asked Jaken to look after his brother. I don’t think Jaken was incredibly happy with this arrangement_ (Inuyasha snorted, and Kagome kissed his nose, glad he was back to his old self at least a little), _but he could never deny Sesshomaru anything._

_You know almost everything else. In your time, only Sesshomaru, Rin, Jaken, and Shippou would know of Inuyasha’s sealing. We worked very hard to keep it quiet, and I think we succeeded. We made a pact to not even tell our children; we felt it best to limit the number of people who knew of Inuyasha’s situation._

_The last thing I need to tell you is how Kaede and I arranged the breaking of the seal. When Inuyasha told us that he used his blood to get through the well, it stood to reason there would be some of his blood left behind. After you and he jumped through the well, someone had to retrieve the blood and use it to break the seal. Hopefully this didn’t take too much time, and you and he were not separated for long._

_Kagome, I want to tell you how happy Sango and I were to get to see you one last time, and finally get to say goodbye. You are our family, and we were happy to help you reunite yours. Maybe we will get to see you again, but if we don’t, know that you and Inuyasha and Morika are in our hearts._

_Miroku_

Kagome refolded the letter, trying not to cry, again. She turned to Inuyasha. “You did all that for me, anata?”

He nuzzled her mating mark affectionately. “Keh. I don’t know what would have happened to us if I had waited 500 years to see you again. We might not have made it.”

“So Miroku’s letter says that Jaken and Kirara guarded Inuyasha, Shippou-chan,” said Kagome. “When did that change?”

Shippou turned red and looked down at the table. “I’ve been guarding Inuyasha for the past two hundred years.”

Kagome sucked in her breath and Inuyasha exclaimed, “Why, runt? You didn’t tell me that!”

“Because I felt like I owed you both,” he said fiercely, tears brimming in his beautiful green eyes. “You saved me, in more ways that one. You gave me a family. You helped me make friends. You did so much for me.” Shippou suddenly stood up and bowed. “It has been an honor to serve you, Prince Inuyasha, and I hope to be able to continue to do so.”

“Keh,” Inuyasha said, “enough with the formalities.” But they all could tell he was pleased.

“So why did you give up your post, then, Shippou-chan?” asked Kagome.

“Sesshomaru asked me to find dirt on Suzuki,” Shippou replied. “And I’m the best. Before I was Inuyasha’s guardian, I was one of Sesshomaru’s top spies.” He paused. “I also got the blood out of the well and freed you, Inuyasha. Sesshomaru was going to do it, but in case Kagome and Morika came back sooner rather than later, he asked me to unseal you. We knew he was the only one who could handle Kagome’s aura.”

Inuyasha stood up shakily and Kagome slid out of his lap; she could tell he was still feeling the aftereffects of being sealed. He went around the table and pulled Shippou into a warm, affectionate hug. The kitsune was not nearly as tall as Inuyasha, and he was burlier, given Inuyasha’s confinement, but Shippou still accepted the hug as shyly and as enthusiastically as a son would receive a hug from his father.

“You’ve done well, runt,” Inuyasha said gruffly.

Kagome burst into tears and raced to join in their hug.

“Thank you, Shippou-chan,” she sobbed. Inuyasha rubbed her back comfortingly, his dull eyes again glinting with tears, too. “Thank you for bringing my mate back to me. Thank you for coming back to us. Now our family is complete.” And she continued to sob relentlessly. Inuyasha took her gently from Shippou and held her close, letting her tears dampen his fire-rat without concern. His own face was pressed into the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent and feeling the healing warmth of her mark.

“It’s time we gave you some space, little brother,” said Sesshomaru, Rin still tucked into his side. Inuyasha nodded, his face never leaving Kagome’s neck.

One by one, everyone filed out, patting Inuyasha on the shoulder or giving Kagome a quick hug. Mrs. Higurashi paused long enough to say, “call me if you need me,” but Kagome still didn’t move from her husband’s embrace. She simply nodded.

Outside, Sesshoumaru stopped everyone from leaving. “Before we part, this Sesshomaru wishes you all to know that the monk was right. The sealing and unsealing have taken a great toll on this one’s brother. We cannot expect him to return to business-as-usual immediately. He needs to be with his mate and his pup as much as possible in order to heal. Their auras will help him regain his strength.”

“What can we do, my Lord?” asked Mrs. Higurashi immediately.

“This Sesshomaru would like his brother to remain in school, if possible,” said Sesshomaru. “But it would be beneficial to him if the miko accompanies him.”

“Oba-sama and I can take turns watching the pup, anata,” said Rin. “I think going to class—even part-time like he is now—will help him reacclimate.”

“He should also maybe take a break from training for now,” added Hideaki. “Let’s give him a chance to recuperate, and once he feels ready, he can come to us.”

“That is acceptable,” Sesshomaru said. He turned to Shippou. “Kitsune.”

“Yes, my Lord?” squeaked Shippou, as though he were a tiny kit again, and not a full-grown, seven-tailed, successful kitsune guardian and spy.

“You’ve done well by this Sesshomaru’s family,” he said simply. “You are welcome to stay at the manor for as long as you like.”

Shippou’s eye grew wide. “Thank you, my Lord.” Rin reached forward and squeezed her old friend’s arm.

“Jaken has brought the car around,” said Sesshomaru. “Oba-sama, we will not disturb your home any longer.”

“You and your family are never a disturbance, my Lord,” said Mrs. Higurashi, smiling softly. She bowed. “You know you are welcome any time, without invitation.”

“Hn,” Sesshomaru replied. “This Sesshomaru and his mate will return tomorrow to see how his brother is doing.”

“We anxiously await your visit then,” she answered.

As Sesshomaru and his family left, Mrs. Higurashi put a hand over heart and looked back at the cottage. She could feel the love and the sorrow emanating from inside. She prayed to the gods that Inuyasha and Kagome could find their way back to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the next chapter is really the last substantive chapter in IoF; Chapter 56 is more of an epilogue. How will things end for our favorite hanyou and miko? What did you think of this, the penultimate chapter? Did it start to make up for the drama of the previous chapters? ^_-
> 
> Also, tomorrow is the last day to vote over at The Feudal Connection (https://feudalconnection.tumblr.com/) in their Q2 2020 Inuyasha Fandom Awards. If you've enjoyed this portrayal of Inuyasha, please hop over there and vote for him (and us)! 
> 
> As always, thanks so much for reading, and for sharing your thoughts with me! I look forward to seeing you all at the next (and final, most likely) update <3 <3


	55. Mates for Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome reunite, and begin their path to healing. Inuyasha makes an unexpected discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime. Everyone else is mine : )
> 
> Hello everyone! Welcome to the FINAL chapter of The Irony of Fate! There is a short epilogue (which I will also post today), but this officially marks the end of this part in the story. 
> 
> I want to once again take a moment to thank all of you for your kind comments and kudos. I have loved sharing this story with all of you <3 
> 
> And now, I bring you the last chapter of IoF! Of course, there is a lemon at the end of the chapter. Please enjoy!

At long last, they were alone. Inuyasha finally pulled away from Kagome and held her at arms’ length, looking her over. “You’re not hurt, Kagome, are you?”

Kagome shook her head. “I’m okay.”

Inuyasha hung his head. “I know this is all really new for you—”

“—It only happened like three hours ago—” Kagome rejoined.

“—But this is something that’s been eating away at me for a year—well, 500 years, I guess,” said Inuyasha, breaking contact with her to run his hands through his hair. Kagome cringed when some of his beautiful silver locks came out in his hand.

“Inuyasha,” breathed Kagome.

“Look, mate, I’m sorry,” he said.

“What are you sorry for, anata?” she asked.

Inuyasha sat back down at the kitchen table; his golden eyes haunted and far away. Kagome sat down in his lap and took his hands in her own.

“What are you sorry for?” she asked again.

He shook his head in anger. “Fuck, I couldn’t follow you!” he hissed, his voice dripping with regret and guilt. “You and our pup were right there, and I couldn’t do a goddamn thing.”

Kagome’s heart stopped. “Inuyasha.”

He cupped her chin in his hand and tilted her face up to his. “I thought about that moment every second of my life without you two. I thought about what I could have done. I could have let the magic or whatever the fuck it was tear me in two. I could have held onto you tighter. There were so many things..." He trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

Kagome reached up and gently kissed his lips: his beautiful, chapped, tired lips. “Any of those options would have put your life in danger, mate,” she said softly against his mouth. “And no matter how much it sucks, I think this may have been the best option. We got back here safely, and you didn’t have to live too long without us.”

“One second without you is too long, wife,” he whispered, his lips brushing hers.

“I know it is,” she replied softly. “But would you have rather died to get to me, or waited 500 years?”

“I would have rather died,” he said immediately.

“Why?” she asked, a hint of anger in her voice. “So that I could suffer the fate that you did? You know that I would _actually_ die, because you would have been dead, too?”

Inuyasha was silent for a long time. He rested his forehead against hers.

“I know this is an impossible situation, anata,” she said quietly, with all the love in her heart. “But we’re here, and we’re together, and here, in this era, we’ve lost no time.”

“But _I’ve_ lost time, ‘Gome,” he said, tears brimming again in his eyes. “ _I’ve_ lost time.”

Kagome pulled him close to her and ran her hands down the inside of his haori and kosode, feeling his back, feeling the bones and the sinew that had replaced his muscle. Her heart broke for one, brief moment.

She couldn’t let it break for longer.

She needed it to put her mate back together.

Kagome pulled back a little and smiled at him.

“Are you hungry, anata?” she asked.

He chuckled softly, pulling away to hold her at arms’ length and examine her all over. “There are several things I’d like to eat right now,” he said with a lopsided grin.

She giggled. “Ramen for dinner, me for dessert?”

He laughed, then wheezed a little. “Sit here, anata,” she said, trying to keep the concern out of her voice. “I’ll make you a nice meal.”

Inuyasha sat at the table and watched Kagome work her way around the kitchen. She took some homemade dashi, four eggs, mushrooms, green onion, and cooked marinated pork out of the refrigerator. She put on a pot of water to boil for the soft-boiled eggs, and another for the ramen. While she waited for the water to boil, she sliced the pork, the mushrooms, and the green onion, setting it all aside. She carefully poked pinholes in the bottoms of the eggs, then used a slotted spoon to put them in the boiling water when it was ready. She then added the ramen to the other pot.

“Can I help?” Inuyasha asked.  
  
“Not a chance in all the hells,” she retorted sweetly. “My husband just woke up from being sealed for 500 years. He deserves an excellent meal that his wife has made for him.”

“Since when are you into wifely duties?” he asked, amused.

Kagome turned to face him, her face dark with lust. “I am _always_ into my wifely duties, mate,” she said huskily.

Inuyasha made to stand. “Kagome…”

Kagome made a _tsk_ sound and forced him back into his seat. “Good little puppies let their mates take care of them, Inuyasha,” she said in a singsong voice. Then her voice dropped. “I intend to take excellent care of you tonight.”

Suddenly Inuyasha didn’t feel like shit anymore. His youki was howling for the first time in 500 years. He wanted his mate in the _worst_ way.

Once the eggs were sufficiently boiled, Kagome slipped them delicately into an ice bath, and then drained the ramen. She wiped down that pot and poured the dashi and shitake into it to let them simmer. She then removed the shitake with a slotted spoon and poured the dashi into a serving bowl. She added the pork, the ramen, the shitake, the green onion, and some shredded nori she had taken from the cabinet. Kagome took the eggs from their ice bath, peeled them, carefully sliced them in half, and added them to the dish. She grabbed a spoon and some chopsticks and set the steaming bowl of ramen in front of Inuyasha.

“You just made ramen from scratch?” he said, surprised.

“I didn’t marinate the nitamago,” she said apologetically.

He stood up and kissed her. Hard. “You made me ramen from scratch,” he said again.

She laughed and nipped at his lip. “What can I say? I’m ecstatic to see you.” She pushed him back down into his seat. “Now, _eat_ , mate. Please.” Once she was satisfied Inuyasha was digging into his ramen sufficiently, she took out some sake and a serving set.

“I don’t want sake,” he said automatically.

“It’s good for your psyche,” she replied. “A little won’t hurt you. Now, do you want it warmed up?”

“No,” he said. “Just room temperature is fine.”

She poured him a small carafe of sake, then returned the bottle to the cabinet. She then poured some of the sake from the carafe into a cup, and placed it in front of him.

“Drink up,” she said. “I’m going to check on the pup.”

As Kagome tiptoed away, she paused in the hallway to listen to Inuyasha. Instead of hearing him continue to eat, she heard him take a shuddering sigh and exhale slowly. Tears pricked at her eyes as she made her way down to the nursery to check on Morika. Her pup was sleeping peacefully; so far, there were no signs that she had been negatively affected by her traumatic experience. It was like there was no record that she had ever been kidnapped, or that Inuyasha and Kagome had to go through time and kill Kikyo’s child to save her.

Except there was. Her mate was in the kitchen, not eating his favorite meal. He had nearly died to get back to them. He was a shell of his former self. Her heart was fighting against falling apart completely. She took several deep breaths to steady herself; she knew what she had to do.

Kagome took her phone out of her jeans pocket. “Mama?” she said when her mother picked up. “Can you watch Morika for a little while? Maybe overnight? I’ll bring her by when she wakes up from her nap.”

Kagome ended the call, took yet another deep breath, and went back into the kitchen. Inuyasha was still sitting in front of his bowl of ramen, not eating. Kagome sat beside him.

“Right,” she said, causing him to turn to her, his amber eyes opening in surprise. She took the spoon and dipped it into the bowl, filling it with dashi. She held it up to his lips.

“Mate,” Inuyasha began.

“Hush,” she said. “Eat.”

And so they sat, Kagome feeding Inuyasha from his bowl, Inuyasha obediently sipping the broth. She broke apart the ramen to make it easier to eat and fed him with the chopsticks. She separated the eggs even more with the spoon. After every few bites, she lifted the cup of sake to his lips, making sure he drank even the smallest sip. He never argued with her; he never protested. He just opened his mouth and obediently let her feed him. Kagome didn’t make him finish the bowl, but she didn’t stop until some of his color had returned and his eyes weren’t so listless.

By that point Morika was bounding around her room, so Kagome went to retrieve her and bring her back to see Inuyasha. He was happy, but Kagome could tell that his heart wasn’t totally into seeing his daughter just yet. Morika climbed up into the crook of her father’s arm and nuzzled his cheek; he smiled sadly and gave her a few yips of comfort.

“Morika-chan,” cooed Kagome. Morika looked excitedly at her mother. “Would you like to go visit Granny for a bit?” Morika barked happily, and Kagome lifted her away from Inuyasha.

“Mate,” Inuyasha said again.

“I want you to go to the bathroom and strip,” she said. “I’ll be back in ten minutes.”

He looked her, eyes wide, but she simply shifted Morika in her arms and opened the screen, leaving the cottage.

While she was gone, Inuyasha did as he was told. He made his way down the hall, stopping on the way to poke his head into the nursery. Morika’s scent hung heavy in the room, as did Kagome’s. He entered the nursery and stood in the middle, breathing deeply, allowing their scents to surround his youki. He could feel his insides and his youki healing, but he wasn’t even close to whole. That would take time.

And it seemed like Kagome knew just what he needed in order to recover. She was relying on instinct; she was acting more like an inu youkai than like a human. Was it a result of the mating? Was it a result of being separated for so long? (Well, not long for her, but still.) Cooking for him, feeding him, now instructing him to go to the bathroom…he felt flush with desire for her, yet again; like a piece of his soul was back, and now he was whole, and he never wanted to be divded again.

He felt like he wouldn’t be able to get close enough to her. He needed her more than he’d ever needed anything or anyone. His youki was recovered enough, and she was close enough, that he could now constantly call out to her; he could feel her from the shrine house, her aura rubbing up against his affectionately. He outwardly groaned and ran his hands through his hair in frustration; now that he was back, he had to have her close, to offer that comfort, all the damn time.

Inuyasha entered the bathroom, feeling the cool tiles of the shower area on his feet. He slowly removed his fire-rat and kosode, and, running his hands over his arms and chest, felt the impact of being sealed away and separated from his mate for so long. His chest felt concave, instead of strong and muscular. His arms, once solid ropes of muscle, hung loose from atrophy. He slid his hands down and removed his hakama and fundoshi; his legs were narrow; his core weak; his body half of what it was. He sat on the shower stool, defeated.

Her aura came upon him so quickly he almost fell off the chair. Suddenly, there she was: a shining beacon in his darkness, ready to guide him back to shore. He looked up, and saw her in the doorway to the bathroom. Her chocolate eyes were warm and inviting, her hair was tied up in a bun, revealing the beautiful curve of her neck, which he followed eagerly to see her mating mark. She wore a simple bathing yukata, which clung deliciously to her curves. Where he was darkness, she was light. Where he was death, she was life. Where he was agony, she was hope.

She was everything.

Kagome’s eyes grew wide as she took in the condition of her mate. He scented…not pity, but sadness, grief, and guilt. He whined a little upon recognizing her emotional state.

“Inuyasha,” breathed Kagome.

He looked down. “I guess I look like shit, huh? Not like someone you want to love anymore.”

Kagome crossed the room and knelt in front of him. “Anata, you could look like a scraggly poor puppy, and I would still love you.” She giggled. “Actually, you kind of look like that now.”

Inuyasha gave her a Look.

“But that’s why I’m here, mate,” she continued, reaching up to stroke his face. He nuzzled her hand with his cheek. “I’m here to bring you back, to make you feel whole. Dinner was the first step. This is the next.”

“What is?” he asked, but she was already hard at work. Kagome reached for the shower nozzle and turned it on, making sure the water wasn’t too hot. She grabbed a washcloth from the counter and wet it with the shower head. Then, she stood behind him and gently sprayed him down, rinsing his hair, softly cleaning out his ears with the washcloth, then rinsing his back. She found herself remembering all the times he had so tenderly washed her body, worshipping her hair, her skin, her curves. She intended to do the same for him: now, and always.

Kagome next moved to his front, tilting his face up to hers, wetting the washcloth again, and gently cleaning his face. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of the damp, soft fabric against his skin. She leaned forward and lightly kissed his lips; his mouth opened at the contact.

“Not yet, mate,” she said softly. She took the unscented shampoo and squeezed some into her hands, then worked it gently over his hair. She used her blunt nails to gently massage his scalp, carefully washing his ears, trying to get 500 years of dampness and darkness out. When she rinsed out the shampoo, she could already see a difference in his hair. Then, she squeezed out some conditioner, and did the same thing, gently massaging his scalp, her fingers deftly working through any knots. When she was done, she wrapped his hair around her hand, making a tight little bun, and piled it on his head. She left it there to set, and turned her attention to the rest of his body.

She ran the water over his arms, his shoulders, his chest; she ran it over his hips and his cock, and finally, his thighs, calves, and feet. She turned off the nozzle and set it aside, picking up one of his unscented bath gels. She squirted a little on the washcloth, and then slowly began to clean his feet. She took one at a time, getting in between his toes, scrubbing his heels, and paying extra attention to his claws. She then moved back up his legs, delicately washing down his calves, his thighs, and his groin. Inuyasha moaned a little at the contact there, but not so much from desire: she was _caring_ for him like an inu youkai mate, and it was so sweet, and so loving, it made him feel, yet again, like the luckiest fucking man on the planet.

“Hush,” she said softly, kissing the tip of his cock, “we have all the time in the world. Let me love you like this first.”

Inuyasha reached down and caught her chin with his hand. “Kagome,” he said.

She smiled and kissed his hand, then went on with her work.

Kagome paid exceptional attention to his abs and chest. She squeezed more shower gel onto the washcloth, turning on the shower nozzle again to dampen it. Then, she carefully worked the washcloth over the ridges in his core, and then, rising up on her knees, she spread his thighs open so she could slide in between them and carefully wash his chest. She lifted up his right arm, washed under it, then down its length, and then worked the washcloth back up the underside of his arm and back across his chest. She relathered the washcloth again and repeated the action for his left arm. Then, she moved around to his back, where she ran the washcloth in circles, making sure as well to follow the curves of his shoulder blades down his back and over his ass, which she kneeled behind him to carefully wash. She placed a soft kiss there, too.

All the while, Inuyasha sat very still, allowing his mate to carefully wash him down. He watched her with love in his eyes; she was concentrating so hard on her ministrations, her tongue curling around her upper lip adorably, her face scrunched up as though she was deep in thought. The feeling of her hands on his skin, of her gentle touch, was firing up his insides and helping his youki to spring back to life.

Finally, Kagome finished washing him, and turned the shower nozzle back on. She gently rinsed him off, making sure she got all the soap. Then she turned her attention back to his hair, which she teased gently as she rinsed out the conditioner. She guided his head left and right, careful of his ears, massaging his scalp again to make sure all the soap was out.

“There,” she said at last, “you’re all clean. Do you want a bath?”

Inuyasha rose and pulled Kagome to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her, not caring that he was soaking her yukata. “Mate,” he said roughly, “I just want you.”

Kagome grinned. “Are you feeling better?” she asked.

Inuyasha removed her yukata and tossed it aside. He picked up the shower nozzle and turned it on. “You’ve had a rough 48 hours, mate,” he said huskily. “I’m not the only one who needs to be cleaned up.”

She laughed. “I’ll do it myself, anata,” she said. “Here.” She handed him a fluffly white towel and then proceeded to wash herself down with the shower head. He watched her eagerly, resting against the countertop, arms crossed, his towel draped about his hips. Kagome flipped her hair over and washed out her hair, applying first shampoo, then conditioner. She let the conditioner set while she scrubbed the rest of her body clean, running her hands over her breasts, her belly, her hips, her thighs. Inuyasha watched hungrily; to him, she was more delicious than the ramen she’d fed him for dinner. He unleashed his youki towards her; it limped along, but was definitely stronger. Kagome felt it rub up against her aura, felt his desire for her, and she gasped.

“Inuyasha.”

“Hurry, mate,” he said gruffly. “I can’t wait but another minute.”

Kagome quickly rinsed off her body and got the conditioner out of her hair. She sluiced all the dirt and grime and decay of the past 48 hours and the past 500 years down the drain. Grinning, Inuyasha held up a towel and wrapped her in it, his face buried in her neck the whole time, licking and sucking on her mark.

“ _Inuyasha_.” She practically collapsed with pleasure.

“Let’s go,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her towards the bedroom. She followed after him, her legs shaking from his attentions.

In the bedroom Inuyasha wasted no time. He removed his towel, then hers, then pushed her back onto the bed.

“My hair…” Kagome gasped. “It’s still wet.”

“I don’t give a fuck,” Inuyasha growled, positioning himself at the edge of the mattress between her legs. He paused for a moment, watching her, completely nude, completely open, completely _his_. He leaned forward and inhaled her intoxicating scent, musky with her arousal.

“Fuck, mate,” he grunted. “You smell more amazing now than ever. How is that fucking possible?”

“You missed me, dog boy,” she teased him lightly, reaching down to softly stroke his ears.

“You know that if you do that, this won’t last long,” he warned her.

She giggled. “I know.”

Inuyasha began to slowly nip and suck his way up her thighs. “I need you, ‘Gome,” he breathed. “Fuck, your body is like a flower, and here—” he took a long lick from her slit up to her tiny bundle of nerves, where he paused to suck deeply, making her moan in pleasure, “—here is where the nectar lies.”

Watching Kagome opening up before him, revealing her pleasures, crying out his name, was the most beautiful, and the sexiest, he’d ever seen her. She might have been right; 500 years sealed away, without his mate’s scent or her aura, might be sending him over the edge a bit. But he didn’t give a fuck. He needed to taste her, to smell her, to hear her, to see her, and above all, to touch her. Instead of immediately sliding a finger inside her, he continued lavishing affection on her with his tongue, pulsing it over her, slipping it between her folds and hearing her cry out his name. He ran his hands over her body, feeling every inch that he could, feeling every part of her.

She was opening up to his emotions coming through her mark; she was understanding his pain and his grief on a whole new level. Kagome felt tears in her eyes; she slipped one hand down to meet his and intertwined their fingers. At this new feeling, Inuyasha gave a strong thrust with his tongue, and Kagome came all around him, her body electrified by his attentions. She cried out his name and a variety of unintelligible words, then pulled him back up, their faces flushed, her strength surprising even Inuyasha.

“I want you,” she said breathlessly. “Please take me.”

“Kagome,” he murmured.

In response she shoved him away; he staggered back across the mattress and landed on his haunches. She rolled over and lifted her ass in the air, pressing her elbows into the mattress. His youki howled in response. His mate always knew _just_ what he needed.

Inuyasha positioned himself at her entrance and ran his cock over her folds; they both groaned at the wetness they experienced on contact. Inuyasha leaned over her, holding her waist with one hand, guiding his cock with the other. He quickly pushed inside her, and immediately felt overwhelmed by the pressure of her inner muscles drawing him up and in.

When he stilled for a moment to collect his breath, Kagome turned around a bit. “Mate?” she asked tentatively. “You okay?”

He shook his head rapidly. “It’s…a lot of feeling right now.”

Kagome balanced herself on one elbow and reached back to caress her mate. “It’s okay,” she reassured him. “Take your time. We have all nght.”

As he became used to the sensation of feeling her around him again, Inuyasha began to move. His thrusts were slow, and languid; he pushed inside her deeply and lovingly, making her feel every inch of him. Kagome moaned as he covered her body with his, peppering her neck and back with light kisses. As her hip thrusts became quicker and more desperate—he knew he’d teased her plenty already that night—he summoned up his energy and matched her thrusts. Kagome sighed and let loose her aura. It glowed soft and pink around them both as they moved. It drew Inuyasha’s youki up and blanketed it in its dusky glow. Inuyasha’s youki eagerly accepted the love and attention from Kagome’s aura, and together, they began to merge again, winding around and around each other.

As aura and youki intertwined, Inuyasha felt a renewed vigor in his loins. He pulled Kagome in closer to him, and started to thrust faster and harder, with more urgency behind his every move. Kagome cried out his name and met his movements, allowing his hand on her waist to guide her forwards and backwards on his cock. Her excitement only fueled his own; he could barely contain himself as he felt how much she wanted him. Instead, he reached around with his hand, covered one of her own, and moved her hand to touch herself. Both of them felt him feeling her pinch, rub, and massage her swollen nub, and together they let loose a howl as they met their release together.

Kagome collapsed forward onto the mattress; Inuyasha fell to the side and pulled her in close. He inhaled her deep, musky scent. If he lived another thousand years, he’d never get enough of that fucking delicious, amazing, _amazing_ scent.

They lay together like that, Inuyasha still inside her, for a number of minutes, their bond reattached and secure. Finally, Kagome separated herself and rolled over so she was face-to-face with her mate. She gasped and sat up. The change was incredible.

Gone was the straggly hair; gone were the bags under his eyes and the listlessness in his pupils. Gone was the emaciated frame. His eyes burned bright amber again, and his hair shone bright and thick. His body was muscular and strong and lithe. His skin was a beautiful tanned color.

“Inuyasha,” said Kagome disbelievingly, “you’re back.”

“I’m what now?” he asked. She reached over to the night stand, grabbed her phone, and opened up the camera in selfie view. She held it up.

Inuyasha took a moment to carefully examine his face. “Well shit,” he said, “I’m _me_ again.”

“How did this happen?” she asked.

Inuyasha pulled her back down and kissed her tenderly, running his tongue over her lips. She shuddered. “Your mating instincts, combined with the healing power of your aura, saved me,” he said with a grin. “You’ve been taking excellent care of me all night, mate.” He smirked and stretched out his body, feeling his muscles ache and pop and lengthen. All of it--even the pain from not using his body in five hundred years--felt glorious. “I’m not out of the woods yet, but I feel fucking amazing compared to an hour ago.” He paused. “That’s all thanks to you.” His eyes glinted. “We need to do this as much as possible until I’m all the way healed, you know.”

“Inuyasha,” Kagome said with a sigh. He continued to kiss her, moving down to her breasts, where he gently kissed each nipple just once, pulling each one a little with his fangs and causing Kagome to keen again. He then laved his tongue over her belly, paying close attention to the tiny stretch marks left behind by their daughter. It was when he began to move back down towards the juncture of her thighs that he stopped. Instead of inhaling her delicious scent of her sex, he inhaled the scent of her stomach.  
  
“Inuyasha,” Kagome said drowsily, “what’s wrong?”

Inuaysha pulled away and smacked himself in the face. Repeatedly. “Oh, fuck me,” he murmured. “I guess this is what they mean by ‘irony’.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked, now fully awake and becoming concerned.

“I’m talking about this,” Inuyasha said, splaying his hands across her belly. “One of the last things I thought about before we left for the past was how I wanted to keep you pupped for a few years.”

“Inuyasha!” Kagome exclaimed.

Inuyasha held up his hands. “In my defense, it was our anniversary, and you did wear that fucking delectable lingerie,” he said placatingly.

“ _Inuyasha!_ ”

“He smiled and rubbed her belly affectionately. “This is my favorite part of you, you know?” he said, his face reddening at the meaning behind his confession. “It’s the part of you that protects and cares for our pups before they come into the world.”

Kagome’s face relaxed into a smile. “Who knew you could be so cute?” She reached down and tweaked one of his ears; his face lit up like he was a happy puppy, not an almost-adult inu hanyou who had just survived 500 years sealed away in the catacombs of his brother’s manor.

“So…about the whole pupping thing,” he added hesitatingly.

“What about it, Inuyasha?” she said slowly.

“Apparently your body listens to my desires a little _too_ well,” he commented.

“What is _that_ supposed to mean?” she cried.

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice this before we left,” he said, more to himself than to her. “I guess my dream came true.”

“What _are_ you talking about?” Kagome demanded.

Inuyasha grinned. “Your belly has a fairly new occupant,” he told her, putting his nose to her stomach. He suddenly gasped. “Actually, I sense _two_ occupants.” He looked up at Kagome; her face was thoughtful, but not necessarily angry.

Kagome smiled and pulled her mate back up for a long, sensual kiss. “So soon?” she said in surprise.

“So soon,” he grinned. The thought of Kagome’s belly full of pups again was starting to raise his blood pressure. He grabbed her and kissed her soundly, determined to show her how glad he was to be back, how much he loved her, and how much he loved _all_ of their pups.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With Inuyasha and Kagome well on their way to healing, now there is just one last (very short) chapter left. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Even though it was at the end, it ended up being one of my favorites to write <3 And, I hope to see you at the Epilogue! As always, thanks for reading, and for your wonderful, thoughtful comments.


	56. Epilogue

Daylight was just breaking when Inuyasha crept into the bedroom. It had been a rough night; Sesshomaru had asked him to accompany him on a survey of some parts of their lands where there was unrest, and although he’d been grouchy when he agreed, he had to admit that he had kind of enjoyed throwing his weight around in his family’s name. He got to rough up a few youkai who weren’t exactly thrilled with Sesshomaru at the moment, and he felt as though they left that patrol with a few new allies instead of enemies. He grinned. Maybe being his brother’s heir wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

Inuyasha came upon the bed, and his breath caught at the sight. In the middle of the bed was Kagome, her dark hair tied up in a messy bun, tank top slipping off one shoulder. Her milky skin gleamed in the early morning light; her mouth was turned up in a smile. She looked so peaceful.

And there, snuggled up next to her, were Morika and the boys. Morika was snuggled into her mother’s side, her head resting on Kagome’s belly, dark brown ears twitching as she listened for anything out of the ordinary, even in sleep. And then the twins. Takeo, the older twin, rested his head on Kagome’s shoulder, his silver ears twitching as he slept, Kagome’s arm draped around his shoulders, covered partially by his silver hair. Kouki, the little twin, snuggled in tight against his ma on the opposite side from Morika, and Inuyasha could see that Kagome’s arm was resting underneath him, drawing him close, his silver ears and hair tickling her chin ever so slightly.

Inuyasha smiled, the love he felt for his little family spilling out of him and into the room.

The sound of their breathing was peaceful, rhythmic: he was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus concludes The Irony of Fate! I hope that you have enjoyed reading it--it has been such a pleasure to be able to share my writing here, with all of you. Thank you again for your comments; I have so loved reading them. It's because of those comments that I have been able to make substantive changes to the story, that are, I think for the better. 
> 
> With that said...many of you have provided me with excellent suggestions for future iterations of this universe. I am happy to say that I'm working on a Part II to this story as we speak! If you have ideas, or things that you'd like to see, please leave me a note in the comments. I've thought a lot about putting together a Tumblr page for this story, and that may still happen. But I don't like to do anything half-assed, and with my current work schedule, plus homeschooling my kiddos, I don't feel like I could do it justice. Should that change, I'll post an update here. 
> 
> Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so very much for going on this journey with me! It has truly meant the world <3


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